Çukuriçi Mound is located just southeast of the ancient city of Ephesus; It is 500 m away from the Magnesia gate of the city. Although it was suggested to name the mound Apasas which was the oldest known name of Ephesus, the scientists who made the excavation named the settlement according to the name of its location. It was discovered by Ephesus Museum researchers by chance during a leveling study in the tangerine orchard in 1995.
Çukuriçi Mound. The Oldest Settlement Nearby Ephesus Turkey
It is claimed that the settlement was on the seaside in the 3rd millennium BC, based on both the researches made by geomorphologists and the numerous seashell finds in the excavations. The hill is located on an extremely fertile plain even today. It is certain that Çukuriçi Mound is one of the oldest settlements in the region. Its proximity to the Aegean Sea indicates that the people who settled here continued their livelihood by fishing as well as agriculture and animal husbandry.
