The Obsidian Murder
Long ago, indeed very long ago, in the village now known as Çukuriçi Höyük by modern people, there lived a girl named Çiçek. She was both graceful and beautiful, as well as very strong. She would help her elders cultivate the land, and when harvest time came, she would gather the food offered to them by Mother Earth and bring it to the village. At night, she would sit under the starlit sky and listen to the elders tell stories of the ancient people. According to the elders, their ancestors had lived not in the village, but in the mysterious caves of Mother Earth. They had sustained themselves with the plants they found in nature and the animals they hunted. When they noticed that the seeds falling to the ground sprouted after a while, they began to cultivate the land. Subsequently, they established villages. As Çiçek listened to these stories, she dreamed of the past and pondered how difficult it must have been to live exposed to all sorts of dangers in the cave.
Among the youth of the village was Boğa Kanı, who was in love with Çiçek. His sole desire was to make her his wife. On the nights when the elders told stories by the fire, he would try to touch Çiçek. However, Çiçek did not like Boğa Kanı at all. She was very disturbed by his persistence. Çiçek was in love with Su Yosunu, who came to their village every year from across the sea to sell obsidian. Three years ago, when she first saw this island boy, she had fallen deeply in love and had made no room in her heart for anyone else. Su Yosunu was also in love with Çiçek. This time, he would not return to his island. He would unite his life with Çiçek and cease selling the obsidian he procured from Melos Island, used for making knives, cutting tools, and mirrors, to the villages on the Anatolian coast. Instead of trading this black volcanic stone, he would begin to cultivate the land. It was worth it to stay by Çiçek's side.
When Su Yosunu came to the village, his first task was to find Çiçek. In front of the villagers, Melos' Su Yosunu and Çukuriçi's Çiçek embraced each other. Boğa Kanı, upon seeing them, struggled to restrain himself from killing Su Yosunu.
When Su Yosunu went to sell obsidian to the village of Arvalya near Çukuriçi, Boğa Kanı pursued Çiçek. For hours, he chased her in hidden corners. As Çiçek tried to escape Boğa Kanı, she strayed far from the village and could not make her voice heard to anyone.
Çiçek fled, Boğa Kanı chased. Finally, Çiçek found a massive hollow in a tree and took refuge in its damp depths, staying there for a long time, afraid even to breathe. She was cold, hungry, and missed Su Yosunu dearly. Had he returned to the village? Eventually, when fatigue and the cold that pressed in during the darkest hour of the night became unbearable, she took in her hand the knife made of Melos Island obsidian she had brought to defend herself and slowly emerged from the hollow. In the forest, there was no sound other than the wind and the voices of wild animals. Çiçek was not afraid of the wild animals. After all, they were the children of Mother Earth, the Great Mother Goddess, the reason for everything's existence in the world. She only feared Boğa Kanı.
Çiçek walked for hours, and just as she was about to reach the village, she heard approaching footsteps behind her. Boğa Kanı had finally found her. As the man behind embraced her, she swiftly turned and thrust the obsidian knife into his chest. When the moonlight fell upon the face of the man who rolled to the ground like an apple falling from a tree, Çiçek realized the mistake she had made. She had not killed Boğa Kanı but Su Yosunu, who had left the village to search for the beloved girl he couldn't find.
Note: The Çukuriçi and Arvalya mounds are among the oldest settlements in the Ephesus region. The history of the Neolithic village in Çukuriçi dates back to 7000 BC. The Neolithic Period is the era when humans emerged from caves and began to establish villages, and initiated agriculture and animal husbandry. At Çukuriçi, obsidian tools sourced from Melos Island, evidence of long-distance trade, have been found.
Written by Archaeologist Özlem Ertan for the Ephesus Foundation.
Long ago, indeed very long ago, in the village now known as Çukuriçi Höyük by modern people, there lived a girl named Çiçek. She was both graceful and beautiful, as well as very strong. She would help her elders cultivate the land, and when harvest time came, she would gather the food offered to them by Mother Earth and bring it to the village. At night, she would sit under the starlit sky and listen to the elders tell stories of the ancient people. According to the elders, their ancestors had lived not in the village, but in the mysterious caves of Mother Earth. They had sustained themselves with the plants they found in nature and the animals they hunted. When they noticed that the seeds falling to the ground sprouted after a while, they began to cultivate the land. Subsequently, they established villages. As Çiçek listened to these stories, she dreamed of the past and pondered how difficult it must have been to live exposed to all sorts of dangers in the cave.
Among the youth of the village was Boğa Kanı, who was in love with Çiçek. His sole desire was to make her his wife. On the nights when the elders told stories by the fire, he would try to touch Çiçek. However, Çiçek did not like Boğa Kanı at all. She was very disturbed by his persistence. Çiçek was in love with Su Yosunu, who came to their village every year from across the sea to sell obsidian. Three years ago, when she first saw this island boy, she had fallen deeply in love and had made no room in her heart for anyone else. Su Yosunu was also in love with Çiçek. This time, he would not return to his island. He would unite his life with Çiçek and cease selling the obsidian he procured from Melos Island, used for making knives, cutting tools, and mirrors, to the villages on the Anatolian coast. Instead of trading this black volcanic stone, he would begin to cultivate the land. It was worth it to stay by Çiçek's side.
When Su Yosunu came to the village, his first task was to find Çiçek. In front of the villagers, Melos' Su Yosunu and Çukuriçi's Çiçek embraced each other. Boğa Kanı, upon seeing them, struggled to restrain himself from killing Su Yosunu.
When Su Yosunu went to sell obsidian to the village of Arvalya near Çukuriçi, Boğa Kanı pursued Çiçek. For hours, he chased her in hidden corners. As Çiçek tried to escape Boğa Kanı, she strayed far from the village and could not make her voice heard to anyone.
Çiçek fled, Boğa Kanı chased. Finally, Çiçek found a massive hollow in a tree and took refuge in its damp depths, staying there for a long time, afraid even to breathe. She was cold, hungry, and missed Su Yosunu dearly. Had he returned to the village? Eventually, when fatigue and the cold that pressed in during the darkest hour of the night became unbearable, she took in her hand the knife made of Melos Island obsidian she had brought to defend herself and slowly emerged from the hollow. In the forest, there was no sound other than the wind and the voices of wild animals. Çiçek was not afraid of the wild animals. After all, they were the children of Mother Earth, the Great Mother Goddess, the reason for everything's existence in the world. She only feared Boğa Kanı.
Çiçek walked for hours, and just as she was about to reach the village, she heard approaching footsteps behind her. Boğa Kanı had finally found her. As the man behind embraced her, she swiftly turned and thrust the obsidian knife into his chest. When the moonlight fell upon the face of the man who rolled to the ground like an apple falling from a tree, Çiçek realized the mistake she had made. She had not killed Boğa Kanı but Su Yosunu, who had left the village to search for the beloved girl he couldn't find.
Note: The Çukuriçi and Arvalya mounds are among the oldest settlements in the Ephesus region. The history of the Neolithic village in Çukuriçi dates back to 7000 BC. The Neolithic Period is the era when humans emerged from caves and began to establish villages, and initiated agriculture and animal husbandry. At Çukuriçi, obsidian tools sourced from Melos Island, evidence of long-distance trade, have been found.
Written by Archaeologist Özlem Ertan for the Ephesus Foundation.