Jeitun facts for kids

Jeitun (also called Djeitun) is an ancient archaeological site. It is from the Neolithic period, also known as the New Stone Age. You can find it in southern Turkmenistan, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the city of Ashgabat. The site is located in the Kopet-Dag mountain range.

People lived in Jeitun from about 7200 BC to 4500 BC. There might have been short breaks in between. This important site has given its name to the entire Neolithic period in the Kopet Dag foothills.

Discovering and Digging Up Jeitun

The Jeitun site was first found by a person named Alexander Marushchenko. Later, archaeologists started digging there in the 1950s. These digs were led by Boris Kuftin and Mikhail Masson.

What the Jeitun Settlement Looked Like

The Jeitun site covers an area of about 5,000 square meters. That's about the size of a soccer field! It had many houses that stood on their own. All the houses had a similar rectangular shape.

Each house had a large fireplace on one side. Across from the fireplace was a special niche, like a small alcove. Next to the houses were open yard areas. The floors inside the houses were covered with smooth lime plaster.

The buildings were made from special sun-dried clay blocks. These blocks were shaped like cylinders. They were about 70 cm (27 inches) long and 20 cm (8 inches) thick. The clay was mixed with finely chopped straw to make it stronger.

Archaeologists think there were about 30 houses at Jeitun. Around 150 to 200 people might have lived there.

Clay Figurines and Other Finds

Archaeologists found small clay figurines at Jeitun. Similar figurines were also found at other ancient sites. These include Mehrgarh in Pakistan and Teppe Zagheh. Mehrgarh was a very important site before the Indus Valley civilization began.

Farming and Animals at Jeitun

The people of the Jeitun culture were some of the earliest farmers in Central Asia. They grew different types of plants for food.

Crops They Grew

The villagers grew barley and two kinds of wheat. They harvested these crops using tools made of wood or bone. These tools had sharp stone blades, like early knives or sickles. Archaeologists also found stone handmills. These were used to grind the grains into flour.

Animals They Raised and Hunted

The people of Jeitun had already learned to domesticate animals. They raised sheep and goats for food and other resources. But they also went hunting to add more food to their diet.

Scientists have studied the plants and animals found at Jeitun. They found that the wild forms of einkorn wheat and barley did not grow naturally in this area. This means these crops were brought to Jeitun from somewhere else, already domesticated. The same is true for the sheep. However, the wild goat called Capra aegagrus lived all over Central Asia. So, goats might have been domesticated right there in the Jeitun area.

Connections to Other Ancient Cultures

Some of the oldest items from Jeitun look like things found at other early farming sites. These include clay figurines, decorated pottery, and small stone axes. They are similar to items from sites in the Zagros mountains, like Jarmo in Iraq. This suggests that early farming people might have moved from the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean area) to Central Asia. They likely traveled through the Zagros mountains.

It's also possible that the Jeitun culture later spread south. This influence might have reached areas like Kermanshah Province and Luristan. Sites there, such as Tepe Guran, Tepe Sarab, and Ganj Dareh, show some connections.

The Jeitun Culture

The Jeitun culture is a name for a group of early farming communities. This culture may have started even before 7000 BC. We know this from sites like Sang-i Chakmak, which is one of the earliest places where Jeitun-style items are found. Other related sites in the same area, the Gorgan Plain, include Yarim Tepe (Iran) and Tureng Tepe.

Where the Jeitun Culture Was Found

Archaeologists have found about twenty sites that belong to the Jeitun culture. These sites are located on both sides of the Kopet Dag mountains. They are especially common in the foothills of the mountains in southwestern Turkmenistan. The sites stretch quite far, from Shahrud, Iran in the west to the Tedjen river in the east. The Tedjen river flows north from Afghanistan.

Two other early Jeitun sites are Chopan and Togolok. They are located close by. Another important site is Monjukli Depe. Jeitun culture artifacts have been found there too. This site helps archaeologists understand the timeline of cultures in the region.

After the Jeitun period in Turkmenistan, another culture developed. This was called the Anau culture.

See also

• Mergarh
• Ulug Depe