Direkli Cave Excavation Site Situated in the Döngel District, approximately 72 kilometers to the west of Kahramanmaraş's city center, Direkli Cave stands as a significant archaeological site in Anatolia. The discovery of a Mother Goddess statue during excavations in 2009 led to the cave being named after this ancient civilization that once flourished in Anatolia. The Paleolithic Layer of the cave has yielded numerous important artifacts, such as flint blade-knives, piercers, pencils, scrapers, and cores. One of the most remarkable discoveries is the remains of animals that roamed during the Upper Pleistocene. Geologists have identified these bones as belonging to herbivores including oxen, deer, pigs, beavers, and rodents like bears or dogs. Until now, Venus-style statues have only been found in Europe. However, a specimen of this statue type was uncovered for the first time in the Near Eastern and Anatolian regions. This groundbreaking discovery has allowed researchers to trace the history of civilization, with Venus-style statues being dated back to between 16,000 and 12,000 BC, approximately 5,000 years ago. The statue discovered in Direkli Cave stands at approximately 3 cm in height and could represent the earliest known goddess ever worshipped. This find is significant as it provides evidence that humans began venerating a Mother Goddess in Anatolia during the Neolithic era, roughly 7000 BC. For any inquiries or questions about the Direkli Cave Excavation Site, please feel free to contact us via [email protected] or simply send us a message on WhatsApp, and we will reply as soon as possible.