For the first time, examples of rock art depicting deer characteristic of certain other regions of the planet have been discovered in the mountains of Turkey. To preserve the scientifically valuable find, authorities and scientists have decided to keep the exact location of its discovery secret, Planet-today reported, citing Hurriyet Daily News.
The rock paintings found by Turkish archaeologists are approximately eight thousand years old, but details about the find are not yet known. Moreover, scientists and authorities have effectively kept the data about the images secret so that “treasure hunters” do not find them.
“The site where we discovered the rock painting is being kept secret, as is necessary for the preservation of the valuable specimen,” said Professor Yavuz Günaştin of Erzurum’s Atatürk University. The scientist, however, noted that the images were found on the walls of mountain caves in the province of Tortum. Previously, rock paintings had been discovered in Turkey in the provinces of Erzincan, Ardahan and Kars.
The new find is unique for Turkey, as it is the first rock painting depicting a deer discovered in the country. Ancient artists depicted animals with ochre (clay) on cave walls approximately eight thousand years ago. The execution of the painting, as Günaştin emphasized, differs substantially from the artistic technique used in other rock paintings discovered in Turkey.
