How Humans Engineered Possibilities of Landscape: Baskets and Basketry Materials in İnönü Cave

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Gülden Ekmen, Hamza Ekmen, Alan Crivellaro, Barbaros Yaman This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4917835/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Dec, 2024 Read the published version in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Wood and bark are among the most significant raw materials prehistoric and early historical human communities used to produce tools and goods that shaped their daily life. Since special conditions are required to preserve objects made with these materials until today, we have limited information about how often or how this basic raw material was used. Here, we report evidence of how wood and bark were used in basket crafting and compare them with modern-day uses. On the northwestern coast of Türkiye, Zonguldak-Karadeniz Ereğli İnönü Cave has special conditions for the preservation of wood and other organic materials. In the Late Bronze Age Level III of the cave (1436 − 1123 Cal BC), baskets and evidence of basketry were found among water-filled puddles. These records are valuable for understanding how the environment surrounding archaeological sites was used by its settlers. Analyzes carried out to understand which types of trees in the environment are preferred for basket production highlighted European yew ( Taxus baccata L.) and field maple (cf Acer campestre L.) species. Production techniques and species analyses of basket remains show the knowledge and level of specialization in basket production of the Late Bronze Age settlers of İnönü Cave. Basketry İnönü Cave Late Bronze Age Plaiting Taxus baccata L. Acer campestre L Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 17 1. Introduction Basketmaking transforms fibrous and flexible plant materials such as twigs, wood, and barks into three-dimensional objects by bending, knitting, or wrapping. All items falling within this scope are hand-knitted without a loom or fixed system and are technically considered a type of textile class (Adovasio 2010 ). Basket making is classified according to three main weaving methods: plaiting, coiling, and twining. Plaited baskets are produced by passing the strips prepared for knitting over or under each other at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. Coiled baskets are produced by a method that involves sewing or attaching fixed horizontal elements and movable vertical elements to each other. Twined baskets are formed by passing horizontal weaving elements, called weft, around fixed weaving elements, called warp (Weltfish 1930 ). There are many variations under these main groups. For baskets from prehistoric or early historical periods to be recovered intact, the area where they are found must have special conditions. Fillings that are dry, cold, or water-filled may allow them to survive. Many basketry products, such as sturdy baskets, mats, and bags, were found in suitable environments in North America (Adovasio 1980 ). The Near East is not considered very suitable for baskets or plant-based artifacts to survive to the present day. However, evidence has been reported from partial charring and silica skeletal traces on floors or pottery (Wendrich and Ryan 2012 ). The best-preserved three-dimensional baskets are the coiled and twined baskets made of esparto grass from the Mesolithic (c. 7500 BC) and Neolithic (c. 5100 BC) Age, found in Cueva de los Murciélagos in Spain (Martínez-Sevilla et al. 2023 ). Here, we investigate Late Bronze Age plant-based technologies by analyzing a plaited basket and basketry products produced with tree barks from the İnönü Cave in the Zonguldak province of Türkiye. This cave was used for living, sheltering, and production for many people in prehistoric and early historical periods. Level III, within the stratigraphic sequence of the cave extending from the Chalcolithic Age to the Middle Ages, was inhabited in the Late Bronze Age (1436 − 1123 Cal BC). During the excavations on this level, wooden floors of four large and two small buildings were unearthed (Yaman & Ekmen 2023 ). Baskets and basketry remains preserved on and around these floors, allowing us to examine these organic items' technologies, types, and contexts rarely preserved in the archaeological record. These plaited baskets and their evidence of basketry, which are unique in that they are produced with tree bark, are introduced according to their typological characteristics, and their contexts, types, and absolute dates are presented here with current examples. 2. İnönü Cave 2.1. Environmental Data İnönü Cave (Karadeniz Ereğli, Zonguldak) is a volcanic cave located 25 km from the Black Sea coastline of Türkiye and 2 km from the village of Alacabük (Fig. 1 ). Its large entrance, which provides direct access to the cave, faces west. The cave developed in several stages and took its current form during the volcanic arc formed by the migration of magma to the surface resulting from the northward subduction of the Northern Neo-Tethys Ocean (Ekmen et al. 2021a , 26–27) (Fig. 2 ). It is 235 m above sea level in the Kızlar Creek valley, one of the branches of the Gülüç River that empties into the Black Sea. It still has a drinkable water source today. The cave's width reaches approximately 25 m in the interior, and its height is 10 m. It starts in an oval shape at the entrance and ends with 3 chambers at the bottom, named A, B, and C by the excavation team (Fig. 1 ). Surroundings, Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (sessile oak), Quercus cerris L. (Türkiye oak), Fagus orientalis Lipsky (Eastern beech), Carpinus betulus L. (common hornbeam), Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. (common alder), Acer campestre L. (field maple), Pinus nigra Arnold subsp pallasiana (Black pine) and Corylus avellana L. (common hazel). It was chosen as a living space by people in prehistoric and early historical periods due to its dominant agricultural areas, forest products with a broad perspective, and potentially suitable for hunting and animal husbandry activities (Ekmen et al. 2020a , 114–115). The local people used the cave as a sheepfold for sheep farming for about 70–80 years after the prehistoric settlers. Within the scope of archaeological research, it was first visited by Düring and Karauğuz, and pottery pieces collected from the surface were introduced (Karauğuz-Düring 2009). Archaeologists have identified five cultural leaves in the cave, where systematic excavations have been carried out since 2017. The dates reached by analogical analysis of the archaeological material found in these levels were confirmed by calibrated radiocarbon analyses performed on 30 samples (Table 1 ). Archaeologically, the earliest settlement begins with the Chalcolithic Age and extends to the Middle Ages. Table 1 Stratigraphy of İnönü Cave. Levels Ages Calibrated Dates I Medieval Age - II Early Iron Age 1231 − 979 Cal. BC III Late Bronze Age 1436 − 1123 Cal. BC IV Early Bronze Age 3126 − 2133 Cal. BC V Chalcolithic Age 4260 − 3976 Cal. BC 2. 2. Level III: Late Bronze Age (1436 − 1123 Cal. BC) Level III, just below level II of the Early Iron Age of İnönü Cave, was inhabited in the Late Bronze Age. Four separate wooden floors were unearthed during the excavations in chamber C o (A, B, C, and D). The tree stems used in the construction of the floor were well-preserved thanks to the mud filling created by the spring waters leaking through the cave (Ekmen et al. 2021b ) (Fig. 3 ). Wood identification analyzes performed on a large number of samples have shown that Oak ( Quercus from white oak group), Pine ( Pinus nigra or P. sylvestris ), Alnus glutinosa (common alder) and Acer sp (maple) woods are preferred for building bases (Yaman & Ekmen 2023 ). Late Bronze Age residents built these floors to transform the sloping and wet floor of the cave into a flat and dry living area. Thanks to meticulous studies, evidence shows that the floors were plastered with a thin clay plaster. Pottery pieces and small finds made of terracotta and metal were unearthed on the wooden floors mentioned. These findings provided vital information to explain the settlement history of level III and the character of the settlement. Most of the bronze items recovered from floors A and B consist of weapons and needles of different sizes. A clay human figurine head was found on the northwest of floor C, and a metal bull figurine was found on the base of floor D (Fig. 4 ). Analogical analysis of these finds shows their connection with Central Anatolian Hittite Age artifacts. Although the small finds unearthed on floors C and D were fewer than those on floors A and B, it was noteworthy that they were mainly related to beliefs and rituals (Ekmen et al. 2021b ). The pottery of level III shows a very original and largely indigenous character. Handmade, coarse paste and mostly finger-print decoration on relief bands, the pottery shows similarities with Early Iron Age (Level II) Coarse Ware pottery in decorations and vessel forms (Ekmen et al. 2020b ). This shows that the ceramic tradition continues to a large extent throughout Levels III and II. The findings of İnönü Cave are essential because they were obtained during systematic excavations in the Western Black Sea Region and found in defined levels depending on the context. Analysis of nine carbon samples taken from the wooden floors found in level III of the cave dates back to 1431 − 1285 Cal. BC to 1295 − 1123 Cal BC. (Fig. 5 ). Analogical analysis of the findings is also compatible with these dates. This information shows that İnönü Cave was a small Late Bronze Age settlement on the Western Black Sea coast, northwest of the Hittite core region. 2. 3. Baskets and Basketry The baskets unearthed in level III of İnönü Cave in close positions are three, two of which are body parts belonging to different baskets, and one of which is a preserved basket with its handles and bases (Table 2 ). This article focuses on the sturdy basket with a handle and two bases (B01-I/8), dated by radiocarbon analysis and examined in detail regarding type, and technology. Table 2 Code and types of basket and basket fragments. Object Code Object Type B01-I/8 Basket BF01-I/7 Basket Fragment BF02-I/7 Basket Fragment BF01-I/7 was found on floor B, south of trench I/7. The best-preserved parts of the fragment belonging to the body of a plaited basket measure 13.5 x 12.5 cm. It is plaited in a checkered with tree bark strips with widths varying between 0.7–1 cm (Fig. 6 ). BF02-I/7 was found north of trench I/7. It is woven in a checkered pattern with bark strips varying in width between 1 and 1.5 cm (Fig. 7 ). The fact that the strips are wider than BF01-I/7 shows at first glance that it belongs to a larger basket. The preserved dimensions of this piece, which has an oval bottom and an oval-like body, are 17 x 13 cm. B01-I/8 was found in trench I/8 at the southeast corner of floor A (Figs. 8 – 11 ). The basket rises on a two-piece base and has a closed mouth and only a short spout. Its two bases, made of wood, were wrapped with tree bark and attached to the basket body (Fig. 9 ). Its single handle, made of wood, was attached to the closed mouth of the basket and then wrapped with shells to attach it to the body. The wrapped shells on the handle prove that the entire handle was wrapped in shells when used (Fig. 9 ). B01-I/8 is produced by the checker plaiting method. This method involves passing the weft over and under the warp element. Each weft alternates over and under in checkered plaiting, creating a checkered effect (Weltfish 1930 ). B01-I/8 was documented with ultrasonography in order to see the inside of the basket after the necessary documentation work was carried out inside the cave and in the excavation laboratory (Fig. 11 ). Radiocarbon analysis performed on a piece of the body of the basket yielded dates of 1213 − 1044 Cal BC (Fig. 12 ). Afterwards, the basket numbered B01-I/8 was sent to Ankara Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory for cleaning, stabilizing and drying processes. Many strips of rolled tree bark were found around the baskets and basket parts detailed above. These bark strips are of various widths and various lengths and shows that the area where the baskets in question were unearthed was also the place of production. Some of the bark strips recovered are wastes generated during peeling, and some are pre-prepared bark strips for basket production (Fig. 13 ). 3. Material and Method The basket found in İnönü Cave is made of plant-based material and consists of three parts. The body of the basket is made of strips of cut and woven tree bark, while the handle and base are made of wood. The basket has been preserved in the damp mud environment of the cave for approximately 3400 years. Therefore, the materials composing the basket exhibit characteristics of water-saturated wood and bark (waterlogged wood and bark). Thin sections of 2–3 mm length were taken from the materials constituting the handle and body of the basket using a razor blade. However, a thin piece of wood, less than 1 mm in size, about to break off at the base of the basket, was removed with a scalpel under a stereo microscope. These thin anatomical sections were placed into glycerine droplets on slides without preprocessing and then covered with coverslips before examination under a light microscope (Gärtner & Schweingruber 2013 ). To determine the wood species used in the construction of the handle and base of the basket, as well as the bark used in the body, comparison materials from the Wood Anatomy and Dendrochronology Laboratory of Bartın University Faculty of Forestry, along with written atlases on wood and bark anatomy, were utilized (Akkemik & Yaman 2012 , IAWA Committee 1989 & 2004, Crivellaro & Schweingruber 2013 , Schweingruber et al. 2019 ). In addition, the INSIDEWOOD (ref) website was also used for wood identification. 4. Results We analyzed the anatomical features of thin sections observed under a transmitted light microscope to identify the plant material collected from the baskets. 4. 1. The anatomical traits of the wood comprising the handle of the basket (B01-I/8) The basket handle, a single branch containing the pith and approximately 1.2 cm in diameter, was obtained by bending a shoot or thin branch into a curved shape. The observation of longitudinal thin sections revealed features related to a conifer wood. We observed distinct growth ring boundaries (Fig. 14 a) and a gradual transition from earlywood to latewood. The double-wall thickness of longitudinal tracheids in latewood was greater than their radial lumen diameter. Helical thickenings (HTs) were present in the longitudinal tracheids cell walls (Fig. 14 b), throughout the growth ring. The coils of HTs were single, and their number was under 120 per mm (widely spaced). Ray tracheids were absent. Rays were exclusively uniseriate (Fig. 14 b), and their average height was medium. All these observed features point to Taxus baccata (European yew) wood. 4. 2. The anatomical traits of the wood comprising the base of the basket (B01-I/8) The analyzed piece of wood is less than 1 mm in size was examined under a light microscope (Figs. 15 a- 15 b), and HTs were detected in the tracheid cells (Fig. 15 b). Among living Gymnosperms in Türkiye, European yew ( Taxus baccata ) is the only species with HTs in its tracheids. 4. 3. The anatomical traits of the bark comprising the body of the basket (B01-I/8) The anatomical investigations on the basket's body revealed the structure of the outermost, dead part of the bark of a tree, called the rhytidome. The rhytidome generally consists of polygonal-shaped cells that formerly belonged to the phloem but were pushed towards the stem's periphery by radial growth. Only a small portion of the rhytidome can be seen in the cross-section of the bark taken from the basket (Figs. 16 a- 16 b). After examining the cross-sections of fresh bark samples from different species around the İnönü Cave, it has been concluded that the cells of bark sample taken from the basket resemble the cells in the periderm tissue of the field maple ( Acer campestre ) bark (Fig. 16 c). 5. Discussion Basketry is a rural craft, and many people around the world produce baskets using a wide variety of methods. Remains of rope, baskets, and various fabric types have been unearthed since the Paleolithic Age in the Near East, North Africa, and Europe (Bender Jørgensen et al. 2023 ). One of the oldest evidence of basketry, one of the most widespread crafts in human history, was found in Europe, in Dolní Věstonice I and II and Pavlov I in Moravia, Czech Republic (Adovasio et al. 1996 ). These are evidence of ropes and nets in the form of negative marks on clay dating back to the 28th Millennium BC (Cal. BP). The earliest evidence of mats or basketry products produced with perishable fibers is found at Ohalo II in Israel (21,000 Cal. BC), Abu Huraira in Syria (11,220 Cal. BC), Wadi Murrabba'at in Israel (10.767–9612 Cal. BC), and the Shanidar Cave in Iraq (9650 Cal. BC) can be counted (Bender Jørgensen 2023). Apart from these, various textile, matting, cordage, and flexible fabric residues were reported by Bender Jørgensen and his colleagues (Bender Jørgensen et al. 2023 ). Among these examples, coiling is the most common knitting method (Schick 2010 , Solazzo et al. 2016 ). When we look at the settled life history of Anatolia dating back to 12,000 BC., traces of basket making and matting can be found in Neolithic Age settlements such as Körtik Tepe PPNA (Erdal 2015 ), Çayönü, Çatalhöyük, Ulucak Höyük (Çilingiroğlu et al. 2012) and Ilıpınar X(c. 6400 − 6000 BC) (Roodenberg and Roodenberg 2008 ; (Ertuğ 2006a ). Çatalhöyük ruins are essential in terms of containing plaiting material. Researchers have classified these remains as phytolithic, in situ basket traces, and basketry traces on clay objects (Wendrich and Ryan 2012 ). The majority of coiled baskets unearthed in Çatalhöyük were found in graves, and researchers interpreted these baskets as grave containers (Bender Jørgensen et al. 2021). Coiled samples were produced from wild grasses (most commonly a wild panicoid grass, with one example of Agropyron sp.), sedges (Cyperaceae), and one example from straw cereal. Plaited materials are plant-based mats usually found on the floors of shrines. These mats were made from sedges and occasionally from common reeds (Phragmites australis). A few examples of baskets have been preserved in three dimensions, such as the İnönü Cave baskets. Coiled and twined baskets made of esparto herb from the Mesolithic (c. 7500 BC) and Neolithic (c. 5100 BC) period recovered from Cueva de los Murciélagos in Spain are remarkably well preserved (Martínez-Sevilla et al.). 2023). A coiled basket (7600 Cal. BC) filled with pistachio was found in the Beidha settlement in Jordan (Bender Jørgensen et al. 2023 ). It is a twined basket made of willow found in Noyen Sur-Seine in France (7190 − 6450 Cal. BC). Those found at Tell Kashkashok in Syria are twined and coiled baskets (6500 − 6000 Cal. BC). The basket found in Umm Dabaghiyah in Iraq (6200 − 5750 Cal. BC) and the basket found in Grotta Santa Croce in Italy (5300 − 4900 Cal. BC) were also knitted with the coiling method. The oldest basket found in Egypt was found in Fayum. This coiled basket, dating from the Neolithic Age (c. 5900 − 4000 BC), was made of coarse straw (Wendrick 2016). The coiled basket remains found in the Gelidonya shipwreck (Yalçınkaya 1958 ) are also made of reed and, like the baskets from İnönü Cave, belong to the Late Bronze Age. When all these baskets, mats, or basketry remains are examined, it is seen that the standard method is coiling and twining. The plaiting method, which draws attention in İnönü Cave basketry, does not require any tools. Traces of baskets and mats produced from reeds using this method can be found in Epipaleolithic and Early Neolithic levels in Abu Hureyra in Syria (11,220 and 7760 Cal. BC), in Proto-Neolithic tombs in Shanidar Cave in Iraq (9650 Cal. BC), the Epipaleolithic site was found at M'lefaat in Iraq, (9660 − 8840 Cal. BC) and the Khan Afuda Cave in Libya (8000 Cal. BC) (Bender Jørgensen et al. 2023 ). In the American continent, evidence of the plaiting method was found in Nevada, Spirit Cave, Grimes Burial Shelter, Crypt Cave, Chimney Cave, Hidden Cave, and Elephant Mountain Cave. These are dated between 11000 − 9600 Cal BP (Connolly et al. 2016 ). The traces preserved on clays related to the plaited basket weaving technology detected in Jarmo in Mesopotamia are dated between 7000 − 6000 BC (Adovasio 1975–1977). When we look at the prehistoric records regarding basketry, we see that the raw materials preferred in production, such as reeds, were perishable. The fact that the İnönü Cave baskets are woven with bark is essential as it shows how the Late Bronze Age inhabitants of the cave used the natural environmental opportunities. The earliest find produced using bark as raw material is the rope unearthed in Lascaux in France (19,000 Cal. BC). (Bender Jørgensen et al. 2023 ). Ethnographic records provide information about plaited baskets' recent and present uses (Ertuğ 2006a ). Basket weaving remains a rural craft in the Black Sea Region, where İnönü Cave is located. Today, extracts obtained from species such as Corylus avellana L. (hazel), Corylus maxima Miller (hazelnut), Castanea sativa Miller (chestnut), Zea mays L. (corn), Ulmus minor Miller (elm) are used in basket weaving (Ertuğ 2006a ). Small-sized baskets woven with bark, called Gıdık or Çöte , are still used today to collect hazelnuts or various forest fruits (Baş 1996 ) (Fig. 17 ). 6. Conclusions Since the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Age in Anatolia, baskets and basketry products have been woven with various perishable materials using coiling, twining, and plaiting methods and used for various purposes (Ertuğ 2006b ). The İnönü Cave baskets introduced here show that basketry was one of the crafts of the early historical communities of the Western Black Sea Region. These baskets are vital as they show how the human communities that lived on the northwestern coast of Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age integrated the natural landscape into their daily lives and how they interacted with their environment. In other words, the baskets detailed here show how the natural environment affects human action and how these natural environmental resources turn into objects affected by human action. The fact that baskets of similar types and sizes woven with tree bark are still used in the Black Sea Region, where İnönü Cave is located, shows the contribution of the early artisans of the region to today's handicraft culture. The wooden floors identified in level III of İnönü Cave and some wooden items found on these floors reveal the high level of knowledge and experience that the Late Bronze Age residents had in woodworking. Production techniques and species analysis of the well-preserved basket show that the Late Bronze Age inhabitants specialized in basketry. The fact that the handle and bases of the basket are made of Taxus baccata (yew) and the body is made of Acer campestre (maple) indicates that the tree species to be used for different parts of the basket craftsmanship were carefully selected in the forest conditions around the cave. When looking at the choice of raw materials in wood processing, the first weak signs are calcium oxalate crystals from Acacia wood found on hand axes and stone fragments dating back 1.6 million years in the Tanzania-Peninj region (Dominguez-Rodrigo et al. 2001). The oldest known evidence of wood use is found at the 780,000-year-old Gesher Benot Yaaqov archaeological site in Israel (Goren-Inbar et al., 2004 ; Werker, 2006 ; Lev-Yadun, 2007 ). Based on studies conducted at the Kalambo Falls archaeological site in Zambia, the earliest indications of wood's structural use date back roughly 476,000 years (Barham et al. 2023 ). The handle and base of the Inönü cave basket are made of Taxus baccata wood. It is one of the hardest softwoods but has remarkable elasticity, making it ideal for products that require elasticity, such as bows and bow-shaped tools. The elastic modulus is remarkably low, considering the high density of Taxus baccata wood (Keunecke et al. 2007 ). When it comes to the use of this species throughout human cultural history, a spearhead made of Taxus baccata wood (its age 450,000 years), discovered in 1911 at Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, UK, is among the oldest surviving wooden artifacts in the world (Allington-Jones 2015 ). To our knowledge, the 3500-year-old Taxus baccata wood used to make the handle and base parts of the Inönü cave basket is probably the oldest use of this tree species in Türkiye. Taxus baccata is an evergreen poisonous tree in the Taxaceae family, native to Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, Türkiye, Northern Iran, and Southwest Asia (Benham et al. 2016 ). The closest 2000-year-old yew tree to İnönü Cave is located in the Gümeli Forests, approximately 19 km southwest of the cave (Akkemik et al. 2018 ). In addition, in the eastern beech forests near Gökgöl at the entrance to Zonguldak, there are monumental yew trees that are between 1000 and 1300 years old, as well as numerous yew trees that are less than 1000 years old (Yaman & Zaman 2022 ). All these massive and ancient trees near İnönü Cave indicate that thousands of years ago, there were extensive forests where Taxus baccata also contributed to the species composition. The inhabitants of İnönü Cave used Taxus baccata wood for their daily tool-making 3,500 years ago. The flexibility of this species' wood, allowing easy bending, notably facilitated its preference for making half-circle-shaped basket handles. Indeed, the bow of Ötzi, the 5300-year-old ice mummy found in the Alps, was also made from Taxus baccata wood (Junkmanns et al. 2019 ; Oeggl 2009 ). The basket's body is made from the bark of the field maple. Historically, the removal of bark sheets or slabs for roofing, shelters, canoes, and baskets has been applied in Anatolia (Turner et al. 2009 ). Among these species are Pinus sylvestris, Corylus avellana, Corylus colurna, Castanea sativa, Fagus orientalis , and various species of Salix . Analysis of the basket found in İnönü Cave has shown that field maple was among the species used in Anatolia. Declarations Author Contribution Authors Contributions of the manuscript titled " How Humans Engineered Possibilities of Landscape: Baskets and Basketry Materials in İnönü Cave"F. Gülden Ekmen: Conceptualization, methodology, writing - original draft.Hamza Ekmen: Review and editing, perform visualization, project administration.Alan Crivellaro: Formal analysis, review and editing.Barbaros Yaman: Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, writing - original draft.All authors declare no competing interests. Acknowledgment Republic of Turkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Zonguldak Governorship, Karadeniz Ereğli Municipality, Karadeniz Ereğli District Governorate, and Zonguldak - Bülent Ecevit University provided financial and institutional support to the İnönü Cave excavations. The findings related to baskets and basket craftsmanship in this study were unearthed by the meticulous works of the İnönü Cave excavation team. Tomography images of basket no. B01-I/8 were created at Zonguldak Level Hospital, with the support and assistance of Dr. Murat Koca, radiologist Dr. Sumru Tanju Şen, and radiology technician Ayşe Karademir. We would like to thank all individuals and organizations who supported the study. References Adovasio JM (1975–1977) The Textile And Basketry Impressions from Jarmo. Paléorient, 3: 223–230 Adovasio JM (1980) Prehistoric Basketry of Western North America and Mexico. In: Browman DL (ed) Early Native Americans: Prehistoric Demography, Economy, and Technology. 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Am Antiq 81(3):490–514 Crivellaro A, Schweingruber FH (2013) Stem anatomical features of dicotyledons. Xylem, phloem, cortex and periderm characteristcs for ecological and taxonomical analyses. Kessel Publishing House Çilingirŏglu A, Çevik Ö, Çilingiroğlu Ç (2012) Ulucak Höyük: Towards Understanding the Early Farming Communities of Middle West Anatolia: The Contribution of Ulucak. In: Özdoğan M, Başgelen N, Kuniholm P (eds) The Neolithic in Turkey, vol 4. Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayınları, Istanbul, pp 139–175 Dominguez- Rodrigo M, Serrallonga J, Juan-Tresserras J, Alcala L, Luque L (2001) Woodworking activities by early humans: a plant residue analysis on Acheulian stone tools from Peninj (Tanzania). J Hum Evol 40(4):289–299 Ekmen H, Diker C, Ekmen FG, Tunoğlu C (2020a) New Evidence of Chalcolithic Age Steatite Beads From İnönü Cave: Typology and Technology Aspects With Archaeometric Techniques. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry 20 – 2: 113–129 Ekmen H, Ekmen FG, Güney A (2020b) İnönü Cave: New Results of the Early Iron Age Culture in the Western Black Sea Region. Olba XXVIII: 35–56 Ekmen H, Ekmen FG, Güney A, Arbuckle BS, Mustafaoğlu G, Tunoğlu C, Diker C, Oktan E (2021a) A New Prehistoric Settlement near Heraclea Pontica on the Western Black Sea Coast, İnönü Cave. 1–XXVI:23–46 Arkeoloji Dergisi 2021/ Ekmen FG, Ekmen H, Seçer Fidan S (2021b) ) Hititlerin Batı Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde Yaşayan Komşuları Hakkında Yeni Bulgular. Archivum Anatolicum 15 – 1: 59–96 Erdal YS (2015) Bone or Flesh: Defleshing and Post-Depositional Treatments at Körtik Tepe Southeastern Anatolia PPNA Period. Eur J Archaeol 18 – 1 : 4–32 Ertuğ F (2006a) An overwiew of the plaited crafts of Turkey (Anatolia and Thrace). In Ertuğ, F. (ed.), Proceedings of the IVth International Congress of Ethnobotany, Ege Yayınları, İstanbul, pp. 297–306 Ertuğ F (2006b) Turkey. In: Novellino D. and Ertuğ, F. (eds.), ‘Baskets of the World’ The Social Significance of Plaited Crafts, IVth International Congres of Ethnobotany. Ege Yayınları, İstanbul, 673–679 Gärtner H, Schweingruber FH (2013) Microscopic Preparation Techniques for Plant Stem Analysis. Verlag Dr. Kessel, Remagen, p 78 Goren-Inbar N, Alperson N, Kislev ME, Simchoni O, Melamed Y, Ben-Nun A, Werker E (2004) Evidence of hominin control of fire at Gesher Benot Ya`aqov. Isr Sci 304:725–727 IAWA Commitee (1989) IAWA List of microscobic feature for hard wood identification. IAWA J 10(3):1–69 IAWA Commitee (2004) IAWA List of microscobic feature for soft wood identification. IAWA J 25(1):1–70 Junkmanns J, Klügl G, Schoch W, Di Pietro G, Hafner A (2019) Neolithic and Bronze Age Archery Equipment from Alpine Ice-Patches:A Review on Components, ConstructionTechniques and Functionality. JNA 21, 283–314 Karauğuz G, Düring B (2009) A Note on the Prehistory of the Devrek Region, Northern Turkey. Anatolica XXXV: 153–165 Keunecke D, Märki C, Niemz P (2007) Structural and mechanical properties of yew wood. Wood Res 52(2):23–38 Lev-Yadun S (2007) Wood remains from archaeological excavations: A review with a Near Eastern perspective. Isr J Earth Sci 56:139–162 Martínez-Sevilla F, Herrero-Otal M, Martín-Seijo M, Santana-Cabrera J, Lozano Rodríguez JA, Maicas R, Cubas M, Homs A, Martínez Sánchez RM, Bertin I, Barroso Bermejo R, Bueno Ramírez P, De Balbin Behrmann R, Palomo Pérez A, Álvarez-Valero AM, Peña-Chocarro L, Murillo-Barroso M, Fernández E, Altamirano García M, Pardo R, Iriarte Cela M, Rus C, Giner JLA, C., and, Piqué Huerta R (2023) The Earliest Basketry in Southern Europe: Hunter-gatherer and Farmer Plant-based Technology in Cueva de los Murciélagos (Albuñol). Sci Adv 9:1–18 Oeggl K (2009) The significance of the Tyrolean Iceman for the archaeobotany of Central Europe. Veget Hist Archaeobot 18:1–11 Roodenberg J, Roodenberg SA (eds) (2008) Life and Death in a Prehistoric Settlement in Northwest Anatolia The Ilıpınar Excavations Volume III With contributions on Hacılartepe and Menteşe. Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, Leiden Schick T (2010) Basketry Finds from Gilgal I. In: Bar-Yosef O, Goring-Morris AN, Gopher A (eds) Gilgal: Early Neolithic Sites in the Lower Jordan Valley. The Excavations of Tamar Noy, Oxbow, Oxford, pp 245–249 Schweingruber FH, Steiger P, Börner A (2019) Bark Anatomy of Trees and Shrubs in the Temperate Northern Hemisphere. Springer, p 394 Solazzo C, Courel B, Connan J, Van Dongen BE, Barden H, Penkman K, Taylor S, Demarchi B, Adam P, Schaeffer P, Bar-Yosef NA O. and, Buckley M (2016) Identification of the earliest collagen- and plant-based coatings from Neolithic artefacts (Nahal Hemar cave, Israel). Sci Rep 6:31053 [online] Turner NJ, Arı Y, Berkes F, Davidson-Hunt I, Ertuğ ZF, Miller A (2009) Cultural management of living trees: an international perspective. J Ethnobiol 29(2):237–270 Werker E (2006) 780,000-year-old wood from Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, Israel. Isr J Plant Sci 54:291–300 Weltfish G (1930) Prehistoric North American Basketry Techniques and Modern Distributions. Am Anthropol 32:454–495 Wendrich W (2016) Basketry in Ancient Egypt. In: Selin H (ed) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 6–8 Wendrich W, Ryan P (2012) Phytoliths and Basketry Materials at Çatalhöyük (Turkey): Timelines of Growth, Harvest and Objects Life Histories. Paléorient 38:55–63 Yalçınkaya H (1958) Bodrum Müzesi Eserleri. Kültür Bakanlığı Yayınları, Ankara Yaman B, Zaman E (2022) Monumental Traits of European Yew Trees near to Gökgöl Cave in Zonguldak. J Bartin Fac Forestry 24(1):32–41 Yaman B, Ekmen H (2023) Waterlogged Wood Remains Found in a Late Bronze Age Settlement (İnönü Cave) on the Western Black Sea Coast of Türkiye. J Archaeol Science: Rep 52:1–12 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Dec, 2024 Read the published version in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 12 Nov, 2024 Reviews received at journal 11 Nov, 2024 Reviews received at journal 24 Oct, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Oct, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Sep, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 22 Sep, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 19 Aug, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 15 Aug, 2024 First submitted to journal 15 Aug, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4917835","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":345567370,"identity":"3e8a36e1-dc72-4cb0-b03c-33919afc0309","order_by":0,"name":"F. Gülden Ekmen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"F.","middleName":"Gülden","lastName":"Ekmen","suffix":""},{"id":345567371,"identity":"9d144324-4390-4a6e-b5a0-b095140f04eb","order_by":1,"name":"Hamza Ekmen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA40lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwiVAMTMx8BMNnbitbClgWk2ZuK18JhBbSOgxZz9dPKHHxVp0fzSPd8efPyxTZ6PmYHxw8cc3Fose3I3GPacycmdOefsdsMZCbcN25gZmCVnbsPjsAO5GxJ42ypyN9zI3SbNk3CbEaiFjZkXn5bzbzcc/PuvInf/jZxnIC32hLXcyN3YzNuQk7tBIocNpCWRCC1vNzPLHEvLnXEjzUxyRtrt5DZmxmb8fjmfu/njm5rk3P4Zyc8kPtjctp3f3nzww0c8WrABxgbS1I+CUTAKRsEowAAARnBT7inqMFIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit 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07:53:09","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4917835/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4917835/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02139-6","type":"published","date":"2024-12-23T15:57:10+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":64403255,"identity":"adf4505f-92a3-43ca-8594-2e7b9ee159bd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:24:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":177107,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eLocation, dimensions, plan, and southwestern view of İnönü Cave (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/a4ad96b6f840d8378865ca22.jpg"},{"id":64402885,"identity":"2b1b7bf6-3737-434b-a01c-b96322a8d7e9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:19","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":64768,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDevelopment of İnönü cave in four stages (Ekmen et al. 2021a, fig. 4).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/5f10c1128926de8da484fb00.jpg"},{"id":64402874,"identity":"9a3a7004-f224-4c59-b454-3aacff58fc99","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":163911,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eGeneral view and plan of the level III wooden floor (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/3635f54b8d3993e8b3537986.jpg"},{"id":64402872,"identity":"59542f98-9cd6-4c7a-918c-9413fbf01edc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":75643,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eClay human figurine head and a metal bull figurine of level III (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/e24c9a1714163411a6e5a458.jpg"},{"id":64403709,"identity":"462c0aab-193c-44c7-aa96-fbc7a4cad0fb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:32:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":43584,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCalibrated dates of Level III.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/3a7718b163f4faced5ec334c.jpg"},{"id":64403706,"identity":"9a0aaac9-dc5f-4fdd-81b4-82e9b1f4886a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:32:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":43323,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBF01-I/7(©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/5c3cb7dd15e6861dd72e27a6.jpg"},{"id":64404124,"identity":"21b66ea2-69dc-4965-9af9-ada4f2ff3394","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:40:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":64555,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBF02-I/7 (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/b502c17c0c91ffa9eadf24fa.jpg"},{"id":64403258,"identity":"14b89ccb-32c4-45b2-8226-1f89ae4ddb0a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:24:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":162598,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eLocation of B01-I/8 (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/7e44aea207e9511773117f70.jpg"},{"id":64402877,"identity":"8efc1257-da4e-4d4f-9eff-c53f8591ed30","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":125618,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDetails of B01-I/8 (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"9.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/9183b09ac8620d8aadd1209c.jpg"},{"id":64403260,"identity":"f9df4a0b-8405-4812-9e7c-bff1f4181f6f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:24:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":97124,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eB01-I/8 (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"10.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/f87327d2f21cc422f9d89a7e.jpg"},{"id":64402884,"identity":"2cfdbbd6-8469-4f53-a514-1951c28386b0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:19","extension":"jpg","order_by":11,"title":"Figure 11","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":103702,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eUltrasonography images of B01-I/8 (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"11.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/00a13ab18795580c4f3f94b4.jpg"},{"id":64402883,"identity":"67dc8f9f-a594-4344-8954-4c1f418a445a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:19","extension":"jpg","order_by":12,"title":"Figure 12","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":48636,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCalibrated date of B01-I/8.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"12.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/a98659d581ef15fb1435d279.jpg"},{"id":64403261,"identity":"38627a25-80b8-4ef4-879e-e1652448c60c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:24:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":13,"title":"Figure 13","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":149685,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eStrips, rolls, and waste from basket production (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"13.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/500aadb68fcdf745aafbbe44.jpg"},{"id":64403263,"identity":"3a5e8b9c-962d-4955-8710-07d28fcdbe44","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:24:19","extension":"jpg","order_by":14,"title":"Figure 14","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":77679,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTransverse section: growth rings (a), tangential section: tracheids with helical thickenings and uni-seriate rays (b) (\u003cem\u003ethe wood taken from the handle of the basket\u003c/em\u003e) (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"14.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/4ee9aca0b05c59472cc2e62c.jpg"},{"id":64403708,"identity":"5df2d169-8708-4d24-a472-f71eca1833d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:32:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":15,"title":"Figure 15","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":52164,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTransverse section: the radial files of tracheids (a), tangential section: helical thickenings on the tracheid wall) (b) (\u003cem\u003ethe wood taken from the bottom of the basket\u003c/em\u003e) (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"15.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/2a916c8d3d054b48fb9f2b85.jpg"},{"id":64402888,"identity":"d3f40a01-8ed1-424d-b7c7-df96b49d8bf1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:20","extension":"jpg","order_by":16,"title":"Figure 16","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":95101,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTransverse section: the phellem of bark taken from the basket (a), the sequent phellem of bark taken from the basket (b), the sequent phellem of \u003cem\u003eAcer campestre\u003c/em\u003e’ fresh bark (c) (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"16.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/4a2834c812434ded5d9c0260.jpg"},{"id":64402887,"identity":"f31651fe-3e76-4e00-90fd-6b27853a1621","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-12 16:16:20","extension":"jpg","order_by":17,"title":"Figure 17","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":33538,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePlaited bark basket, called 'gıdık' or 'çöte', is used today in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye (©İnönü Cave Project).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"17.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/e146e46da3bc0231af26b3b3.jpg"},{"id":72640510,"identity":"321e886b-93d7-4204-abe3-38b25a1577fb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-12-30 16:06:14","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2081430,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4917835/v1/bfe2087a-20bc-4883-a152-3a52e9309424.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"How Humans Engineered Possibilities of Landscape: Baskets and Basketry Materials in İnönü Cave","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eBasketmaking transforms fibrous and flexible plant materials such as twigs, wood, and barks into three-dimensional objects by bending, knitting, or wrapping. All items falling within this scope are hand-knitted without a loom or fixed system and are technically considered a type of textile class (Adovasio \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Basket making is classified according to three main weaving methods: plaiting, coiling, and twining. Plaited baskets are produced by passing the strips prepared for knitting over or under each other at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. Coiled baskets are produced by a method that involves sewing or attaching fixed horizontal elements and movable vertical elements to each other. Twined baskets are formed by passing horizontal weaving elements, called weft, around fixed weaving elements, called warp (Weltfish \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1930\u003c/span\u003e). There are many variations under these main groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor baskets from prehistoric or early historical periods to be recovered intact, the area where they are found must have special conditions. Fillings that are dry, cold, or water-filled may allow them to survive. Many basketry products, such as sturdy baskets, mats, and bags, were found in suitable environments in North America (Adovasio \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1980\u003c/span\u003e). The Near East is not considered very suitable for baskets or plant-based artifacts to survive to the present day. However, evidence has been reported from partial charring and silica skeletal traces on floors or pottery (Wendrich and Ryan \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). The best-preserved three-dimensional baskets are the coiled and twined baskets made of esparto grass from the Mesolithic (c. 7500 BC) and Neolithic (c. 5100 BC) Age, found in Cueva de los Murci\u0026eacute;lagos in Spain (Mart\u0026iacute;nez-Sevilla et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHere, we investigate Late Bronze Age plant-based technologies by analyzing a plaited basket and basketry products produced with tree barks from the İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave in the Zonguldak province of T\u0026uuml;rkiye. This cave was used for living, sheltering, and production for many people in prehistoric and early historical periods. Level III, within the stratigraphic sequence of the cave extending from the Chalcolithic Age to the Middle Ages, was inhabited in the Late Bronze Age (1436\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1123 Cal BC). During the excavations on this level, wooden floors of four large and two small buildings were unearthed (Yaman \u0026amp; Ekmen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Baskets and basketry remains preserved on and around these floors, allowing us to examine these organic items' technologies, types, and contexts rarely preserved in the archaeological record. These plaited baskets and their evidence of basketry, which are unique in that they are produced with tree bark, are introduced according to their typological characteristics, and their contexts, types, and absolute dates are presented here with current examples.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. İnönü Cave","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1. Environmental Data\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eİn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave (Karadeniz Ereğli, Zonguldak) is a volcanic cave located 25 km from the Black Sea coastline of T\u0026uuml;rkiye and 2 km from the village of Alacab\u0026uuml;k (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Its large entrance, which provides direct access to the cave, faces west. The cave developed in several stages and took its current form during the volcanic arc formed by the migration of magma to the surface resulting from the northward subduction of the Northern Neo-Tethys Ocean (Ekmen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e, 26\u0026ndash;27) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). It is 235 m above sea level in the Kızlar Creek valley, one of the branches of the G\u0026uuml;l\u0026uuml;\u0026ccedil; River that empties into the Black Sea. It still has a drinkable water source today. The cave's width reaches approximately 25 m in the interior, and its height is 10 m. It starts in an oval shape at the entrance and ends with 3 chambers at the bottom, named A, B, and C by the excavation team (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Surroundings, \u003cem\u003eQuercus petraea\u003c/em\u003e (Matt.) Liebl. (sessile oak), \u003cem\u003eQuercus cerris\u003c/em\u003e L. (T\u0026uuml;rkiye oak), \u003cem\u003eFagus orientalis\u003c/em\u003e Lipsky (Eastern beech), \u003cem\u003eCarpinus betulus\u003c/em\u003e L. (common hornbeam), \u003cem\u003eAlnus glutinosa\u003c/em\u003e (L.) Gaertn. (common alder), \u003cem\u003eAcer campestre\u003c/em\u003e L. (field maple), \u003cem\u003ePinus nigra\u003c/em\u003e Arnold subsp \u003cem\u003epallasiana\u003c/em\u003e (Black pine) and \u003cem\u003eCorylus avellana\u003c/em\u003e L. (common hazel). It was chosen as a living space by people in prehistoric and early historical periods due to its dominant agricultural areas, forest products with a broad perspective, and potentially suitable for hunting and animal husbandry activities (Ekmen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020a\u003c/span\u003e, 114\u0026ndash;115).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe local people used the cave as a sheepfold for sheep farming for about 70\u0026ndash;80 years after the prehistoric settlers. Within the scope of archaeological research, it was first visited by D\u0026uuml;ring and Karauğuz, and pottery pieces collected from the surface were introduced (Karauğuz-D\u0026uuml;ring 2009). Archaeologists have identified five cultural leaves in the cave, where systematic excavations have been carried out since 2017. The dates reached by analogical analysis of the archaeological material found in these levels were confirmed by calibrated radiocarbon analyses performed on 30 samples (Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Archaeologically, the earliest settlement begins with the Chalcolithic Age and extends to the Middle Ages.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStratigraphy of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevels\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAges\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCalibrated Dates\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedieval Age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eII\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEarly Iron Age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1231\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;979 Cal. BC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIII\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLate Bronze Age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1436\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1123 Cal. BC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIV\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEarly Bronze Age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3126\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2133 Cal. BC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eV\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChalcolithic Age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4260\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3976 Cal. BC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e2. 2. Level III: Late Bronze Age (1436 − 1123 Cal. BC)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLevel III, just below level II of the Early Iron Age of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave, was inhabited in the Late Bronze Age. Four separate wooden floors were unearthed during the excavations in chamber C o (A, B, C, and D). The tree stems used in the construction of the floor were well-preserved thanks to the mud filling created by the spring waters leaking through the cave (Ekmen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021b\u003c/span\u003e) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Wood identification analyzes performed on a large number of samples have shown that Oak (\u003cem\u003eQuercus\u003c/em\u003e from white oak group), Pine (\u003cem\u003ePinus nigra\u003c/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eP. sylvestris\u003c/em\u003e), \u003cem\u003eAlnus glutinosa\u003c/em\u003e (common alder) and \u003cem\u003eAcer\u003c/em\u003e sp (maple) woods are preferred for building bases (Yaman \u0026amp; Ekmen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Late Bronze Age residents built these floors to transform the sloping and wet floor of the cave into a flat and dry living area. Thanks to meticulous studies, evidence shows that the floors were plastered with a thin clay plaster.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePottery pieces and small finds made of terracotta and metal were unearthed on the wooden floors mentioned. These findings provided vital information to explain the settlement history of level III and the character of the settlement. Most of the bronze items recovered from floors A and B consist of weapons and needles of different sizes. A clay human figurine head was found on the northwest of floor C, and a metal bull figurine was found on the base of floor D (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Analogical analysis of these finds shows their connection with Central Anatolian Hittite Age artifacts. Although the small finds unearthed on floors C and D were fewer than those on floors A and B, it was noteworthy that they were mainly related to beliefs and rituals (Ekmen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021b\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe pottery of level III shows a very original and largely indigenous character. Handmade, coarse paste and mostly finger-print decoration on relief bands, the pottery shows similarities with Early Iron Age (Level II) Coarse Ware pottery in decorations and vessel forms (Ekmen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020b\u003c/span\u003e). This shows that the ceramic tradition continues to a large extent throughout Levels III and II.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave are essential because they were obtained during systematic excavations in the Western Black Sea Region and found in defined levels depending on the context. Analysis of nine carbon samples taken from the wooden floors found in level III of the cave dates back to 1431\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1285 Cal. BC to 1295\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1123 Cal BC. (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Analogical analysis of the findings is also compatible with these dates. This information shows that İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave was a small Late Bronze Age settlement on the Western Black Sea coast, northwest of the Hittite core region.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e2. 3. Baskets and Basketry\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe baskets unearthed in level III of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave in close positions are three, two of which are body parts belonging to different baskets, and one of which is a preserved basket with its handles and bases (Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). This article focuses on the sturdy basket with a handle and two bases (B01-I/8), dated by radiocarbon analysis and examined in detail regarding type, and technology.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCode and types of basket and basket fragments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObject Code\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObject Type\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB01-I/8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBasket\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBF01-I/7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBasket Fragment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBF02-I/7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBasket Fragment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBF01-I/7 was found on floor B, south of trench I/7. The best-preserved parts of the fragment belonging to the body of a plaited basket measure 13.5 x 12.5 cm. It is plaited in a checkered with tree bark strips with widths varying between 0.7\u0026ndash;1 cm (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBF02-I/7 was found north of trench I/7. It is woven in a checkered pattern with bark strips varying in width between 1 and 1.5 cm (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). The fact that the strips are wider than BF01-I/7 shows at first glance that it belongs to a larger basket. The preserved dimensions of this piece, which has an oval bottom and an oval-like body, are 17 x 13 cm.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eB01-I/8 was found in trench I/8 at the southeast corner of floor A (Figs.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig11\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e). The basket rises on a two-piece base and has a closed mouth and only a short spout. Its two bases, made of wood, were wrapped with tree bark and attached to the basket body (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig9\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). Its single handle, made of wood, was attached to the closed mouth of the basket and then wrapped with shells to attach it to the body. The wrapped shells on the handle prove that the entire handle was wrapped in shells when used (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig9\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). B01-I/8 is produced by the checker plaiting method. This method involves passing the weft over and under the warp element. Each weft alternates over and under in checkered plaiting, creating a checkered effect (Weltfish \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1930\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eB01-I/8 was documented with ultrasonography in order to see the inside of the basket after the necessary documentation work was carried out inside the cave and in the excavation laboratory (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig11\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e). Radiocarbon analysis performed on a piece of the body of the basket yielded dates of 1213\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1044 Cal BC (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig12\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e). Afterwards, the basket numbered B01-I/8 was sent to Ankara Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory for cleaning, stabilizing and drying processes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMany strips of rolled tree bark were found around the baskets and basket parts detailed above. These bark strips are of various widths and various lengths and shows that the area where the baskets in question were unearthed was also the place of production. Some of the bark strips recovered are wastes generated during peeling, and some are pre-prepared bark strips for basket production (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig13\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Material and Method","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe basket found in İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave is made of plant-based material and consists of three parts. The body of the basket is made of strips of cut and woven tree bark, while the handle and base are made of wood. The basket has been preserved in the damp mud environment of the cave for approximately 3400 years. Therefore, the materials composing the basket exhibit characteristics of water-saturated wood and bark (waterlogged wood and bark). Thin sections of 2\u0026ndash;3 mm length were taken from the materials constituting the handle and body of the basket using a razor blade. However, a thin piece of wood, less than 1 mm in size, about to break off at the base of the basket, was removed with a scalpel under a stereo microscope. These thin anatomical sections were placed into glycerine droplets on slides without preprocessing and then covered with coverslips before examination under a light microscope (G\u0026auml;rtner \u0026amp; Schweingruber \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). To determine the wood species used in the construction of the handle and base of the basket, as well as the bark used in the body, comparison materials from the Wood Anatomy and Dendrochronology Laboratory of Bartın University Faculty of Forestry, along with written atlases on wood and bark anatomy, were utilized (Akkemik \u0026amp; Yaman \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e, IAWA Committee 1989 \u0026amp; 2004, Crivellaro \u0026amp; Schweingruber \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e, Schweingruber et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, the INSIDEWOOD (ref) website was also used for wood identification.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe analyzed the anatomical features of thin sections observed under a transmitted light microscope to identify the plant material collected from the baskets.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e4. 1. The anatomical traits of the wood comprising the handle of the basket (B01-I/8)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe basket handle, a single branch containing the pith and approximately 1.2 cm in diameter, was obtained by bending a shoot or thin branch into a curved shape. The observation of longitudinal thin sections revealed features related to a conifer wood. We observed distinct growth ring boundaries (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig14\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003ea) and a gradual transition from earlywood to latewood. The double-wall thickness of longitudinal tracheids in latewood was greater than their radial lumen diameter. Helical thickenings (HTs) were present in the longitudinal tracheids cell walls (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig14\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003eb), throughout the growth ring. The coils of HTs were single, and their number was under 120 per mm (widely spaced). Ray tracheids were absent. Rays were exclusively uniseriate (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig14\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003eb), and their average height was medium. All these observed features point to \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e (European yew) wood.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e4. 2. The anatomical traits of the wood comprising the base of the basket (B01-I/8)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analyzed piece of wood is less than 1 mm in size was examined under a light microscope (Figs.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig15\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003ea-\u003cspan refid=\"Fig15\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003eb), and HTs were detected in the tracheid cells (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig15\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003eb). Among living Gymnosperms in T\u0026uuml;rkiye, European yew (\u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e) is the only species with HTs in its tracheids.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e4. 3. The anatomical traits of the bark comprising the body of the basket (B01-I/8)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe anatomical investigations on the basket's body revealed the structure of the outermost, dead part of the bark of a tree, called the rhytidome. The rhytidome generally consists of polygonal-shaped cells that formerly belonged to the phloem but were pushed towards the stem's periphery by radial growth. Only a small portion of the rhytidome can be seen in the cross-section of the bark taken from the basket (Figs.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig16\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003ea-\u003cspan refid=\"Fig16\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003eb). After examining the cross-sections of fresh bark samples from different species around the İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave, it has been concluded that the cells of bark sample taken from the basket resemble the cells in the periderm tissue of the field maple (\u003cem\u003eAcer campestre\u003c/em\u003e) bark (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig16\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003ec).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eBasketry is a rural craft, and many people around the world produce baskets using a wide variety of methods. Remains of rope, baskets, and various fabric types have been unearthed since the Paleolithic Age in the Near East, North Africa, and Europe (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne of the oldest evidence of basketry, one of the most widespread crafts in human history, was found in Europe, in Doln\u0026iacute; Věstonice I and II and Pavlov I in Moravia, Czech Republic (Adovasio et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e). These are evidence of ropes and nets in the form of negative marks on clay dating back to the 28th Millennium BC (Cal. BP). The earliest evidence of mats or basketry products produced with perishable fibers is found at Ohalo II in Israel (21,000 Cal. BC), Abu Huraira in Syria (11,220 Cal. BC), Wadi Murrabba'at in Israel (10.767\u0026ndash;9612 Cal. BC), and the Shanidar Cave in Iraq (9650 Cal. BC) can be counted (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen 2023). Apart from these, various textile, matting, cordage, and flexible fabric residues were reported by Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen and his colleagues (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Among these examples, coiling is the most common knitting method (Schick \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e, Solazzo et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen we look at the settled life history of Anatolia dating back to 12,000 BC., traces of basket making and matting can be found in Neolithic Age settlements such as K\u0026ouml;rtik Tepe PPNA (Erdal \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), \u0026Ccedil;ay\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml;, \u0026Ccedil;atalh\u0026ouml;y\u0026uuml;k, Ulucak H\u0026ouml;y\u0026uuml;k (\u0026Ccedil;ilingiroğlu et al. 2012) and Ilıpınar X(c. 6400\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;6000 BC) (Roodenberg and Roodenberg \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; (Ertuğ \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006a\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026Ccedil;atalh\u0026ouml;y\u0026uuml;k ruins are essential in terms of containing plaiting material. Researchers have classified these remains as phytolithic, in situ basket traces, and basketry traces on clay objects (Wendrich and Ryan \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). The majority of coiled baskets unearthed in \u0026Ccedil;atalh\u0026ouml;y\u0026uuml;k were found in graves, and researchers interpreted these baskets as grave containers (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen et al. 2021). Coiled samples were produced from wild grasses (most commonly a wild panicoid grass, with one example of Agropyron sp.), sedges (Cyperaceae), and one example from straw cereal. Plaited materials are plant-based mats usually found on the floors of shrines. These mats were made from sedges and occasionally from common reeds (Phragmites australis).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA few examples of baskets have been preserved in three dimensions, such as the İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave baskets. Coiled and twined baskets made of esparto herb from the Mesolithic (c. 7500 BC) and Neolithic (c. 5100 BC) period recovered from Cueva de los Murci\u0026eacute;lagos in Spain are remarkably well preserved (Mart\u0026iacute;nez-Sevilla et al.). 2023). A coiled basket (7600 Cal. BC) filled with pistachio was found in the Beidha settlement in Jordan (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). It is a twined basket made of willow found in Noyen Sur-Seine in France (7190\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;6450 Cal. BC). Those found at Tell Kashkashok in Syria are twined and coiled baskets (6500\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;6000 Cal. BC). The basket found in Umm Dabaghiyah in Iraq (6200\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;5750 Cal. BC) and the basket found in Grotta Santa Croce in Italy (5300\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4900 Cal. BC) were also knitted with the coiling method. The oldest basket found in Egypt was found in Fayum. This coiled basket, dating from the Neolithic Age (c. 5900\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4000 BC), was made of coarse straw (Wendrick 2016). The coiled basket remains found in the Gelidonya shipwreck (Yal\u0026ccedil;ınkaya \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1958\u003c/span\u003e) are also made of reed and, like the baskets from İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave, belong to the Late Bronze Age. When all these baskets, mats, or basketry remains are examined, it is seen that the standard method is coiling and twining.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe plaiting method, which draws attention in İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave basketry, does not require any tools. Traces of baskets and mats produced from reeds using this method can be found in Epipaleolithic and Early Neolithic levels in Abu Hureyra in Syria (11,220 and 7760 Cal. BC), in Proto-Neolithic tombs in Shanidar Cave in Iraq (9650 Cal. BC), the Epipaleolithic site was found at M'lefaat in Iraq, (9660\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;8840 Cal. BC) and the Khan Afuda Cave in Libya (8000 Cal. BC) (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In the American continent, evidence of the plaiting method was found in Nevada, Spirit Cave, Grimes Burial Shelter, Crypt Cave, Chimney Cave, Hidden Cave, and Elephant Mountain Cave. These are dated between 11000\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;9600 Cal BP (Connolly et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). The traces preserved on clays related to the plaited basket weaving technology detected in Jarmo in Mesopotamia are dated between 7000\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;6000 BC (Adovasio 1975\u0026ndash;1977).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen we look at the prehistoric records regarding basketry, we see that the raw materials preferred in production, such as reeds, were perishable. The fact that the İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave baskets are woven with bark is essential as it shows how the Late Bronze Age inhabitants of the cave used the natural environmental opportunities. The earliest find produced using bark as raw material is the rope unearthed in Lascaux in France (19,000 Cal. BC). (Bender J\u0026oslash;rgensen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEthnographic records provide information about plaited baskets' recent and present uses (Ertuğ \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006a\u003c/span\u003e). Basket weaving remains a rural craft in the Black Sea Region, where İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave is located. Today, extracts obtained from species such as Corylus avellana L. (hazel), Corylus maxima Miller (hazelnut), Castanea sativa Miller (chestnut), Zea mays L. (corn), Ulmus minor Miller (elm) are used in basket weaving (Ertuğ \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006a\u003c/span\u003e). Small-sized baskets woven with bark, called \u003cem\u003eGıdık\u003c/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003e\u0026Ccedil;\u0026ouml;te\u003c/em\u003e, are still used today to collect hazelnuts or various forest fruits (Baş \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig17\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eSince the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Age in Anatolia, baskets and basketry products have been woven with various perishable materials using coiling, twining, and plaiting methods and used for various purposes (Ertuğ \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006b\u003c/span\u003e). The İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave baskets introduced here show that basketry was one of the crafts of the early historical communities of the Western Black Sea Region. These baskets are vital as they show how the human communities that lived on the northwestern coast of Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age integrated the natural landscape into their daily lives and how they interacted with their environment. In other words, the baskets detailed here show how the natural environment affects human action and how these natural environmental resources turn into objects affected by human action. The fact that baskets of similar types and sizes woven with tree bark are still used in the Black Sea Region, where İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave is located, shows the contribution of the early artisans of the region to today's handicraft culture.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe wooden floors identified in level III of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave and some wooden items found on these floors reveal the high level of knowledge and experience that the Late Bronze Age residents had in woodworking. Production techniques and species analysis of the well-preserved basket show that the Late Bronze Age inhabitants specialized in basketry. The fact that the handle and bases of the basket are made of \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e (yew) and the body is made of \u003cem\u003eAcer campestre\u003c/em\u003e (maple) indicates that the tree species to be used for different parts of the basket craftsmanship were carefully selected in the forest conditions around the cave.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen looking at the choice of raw materials in wood processing, the first weak signs are calcium oxalate crystals from \u003cem\u003eAcacia\u003c/em\u003e wood found on hand axes and stone fragments dating back 1.6\u0026nbsp;million years in the Tanzania-Peninj region (Dominguez-Rodrigo et al. 2001). The oldest known evidence of wood use is found at the 780,000-year-old Gesher Benot Yaaqov archaeological site in Israel (Goren-Inbar et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Werker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Lev-Yadun, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). Based on studies conducted at the Kalambo Falls archaeological site in Zambia, the earliest indications of wood's structural use date back roughly 476,000 years (Barham et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The handle and base of the In\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; cave basket are made of \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e wood. It is one of the hardest softwoods but has remarkable elasticity, making it ideal for products that require elasticity, such as bows and bow-shaped tools. The elastic modulus is remarkably low, considering the high density of \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e wood (Keunecke et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). When it comes to the use of this species throughout human cultural history, a spearhead made of \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e wood (its age 450,000 years), discovered in 1911 at Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, UK, is among the oldest surviving wooden artifacts in the world (Allington-Jones \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). To our knowledge, the 3500-year-old \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e wood used to make the handle and base parts of the In\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; cave basket is probably the oldest use of this tree species in T\u0026uuml;rkiye. \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e is an evergreen poisonous tree in the Taxaceae family, native to Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, T\u0026uuml;rkiye, Northern Iran, and Southwest Asia (Benham et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). The closest 2000-year-old yew tree to İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave is located in the G\u0026uuml;meli Forests, approximately 19 km southwest of the cave (Akkemik et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, in the eastern beech forests near G\u0026ouml;kg\u0026ouml;l at the entrance to Zonguldak, there are monumental yew trees that are between 1000 and 1300 years old, as well as numerous yew trees that are less than 1000 years old (Yaman \u0026amp; Zaman \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). All these massive and ancient trees near İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave indicate that thousands of years ago, there were extensive forests where \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e also contributed to the species composition. The inhabitants of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave used \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e wood for their daily tool-making 3,500 years ago. The flexibility of this species' wood, allowing easy bending, notably facilitated its preference for making half-circle-shaped basket handles. Indeed, the bow of \u0026Ouml;tzi, the 5300-year-old ice mummy found in the Alps, was also made from \u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e wood (Junkmanns et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Oeggl \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). The basket's body is made from the bark of the field maple. Historically, the removal of bark sheets or slabs for roofing, shelters, canoes, and baskets has been applied in Anatolia (Turner et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Among these species are \u003cem\u003ePinus sylvestris, Corylus avellana, Corylus colurna, Castanea sativa, Fagus orientalis\u003c/em\u003e, and various species of \u003cem\u003eSalix\u003c/em\u003e. Analysis of the basket found in İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave has shown that field maple was among the species used in Anatolia.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthors Contributions of the manuscript titled \" How Humans Engineered Possibilities of Landscape: Baskets and Basketry Materials in İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave\"F. G\u0026uuml;lden Ekmen: Conceptualization, methodology, writing - original draft.Hamza Ekmen: Review and editing, perform visualization, project administration.Alan Crivellaro: Formal analysis, review and editing.Barbaros Yaman: Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, writing - original draft.All authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgment\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eRepublic of Turkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Zonguldak Governorship, Karadeniz Ereğli Municipality, Karadeniz Ereğli District Governorate, and Zonguldak - B\u0026uuml;lent Ecevit University provided financial and institutional support to the İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave excavations. The findings related to baskets and basket craftsmanship in this study were unearthed by the meticulous works of the İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave excavation team. Tomography images of basket no. B01-I/8 were created at Zonguldak Level Hospital, with the support and assistance of Dr. Murat Koca, radiologist Dr. Sumru Tanju Şen, and radiology technician Ayşe Karademir. We would like to thank all individuals and organizations who supported the study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdovasio JM (1975\u0026ndash;1977) The Textile And Basketry Impressions from Jarmo. Pal\u0026eacute;orient, 3: 223\u0026ndash;230\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdovasio JM (1980) Prehistoric Basketry of Western North America and Mexico. In: Browman DL (ed) Early Native Americans: Prehistoric Demography, Economy, and Technology. De Gruyter Mouton, Berlin, New York, pp 341\u0026ndash;362\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdovasio JM (2010) Basketry Technology, A Guide to Identification and Analysis. 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Olba XXVIII: 35\u0026ndash;56\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEkmen H, Ekmen FG, G\u0026uuml;ney A, Arbuckle BS, Mustafaoğlu G, Tunoğlu C, Diker C, Oktan E (2021a) A New Prehistoric Settlement near Heraclea Pontica on the Western Black Sea Coast, İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave. 1\u0026ndash;XXVI:23\u0026ndash;46 Arkeoloji Dergisi 2021/\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEkmen FG, Ekmen H, Se\u0026ccedil;er Fidan S (2021b) ) Hititlerin Batı Karadeniz B\u0026ouml;lgesi\u0026rsquo;nde Yaşayan Komşuları Hakkında Yeni Bulgular. Archivum Anatolicum 15\u0026thinsp;\u0026ndash;\u0026thinsp;1: 59\u0026ndash;96\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErdal YS (2015) Bone or Flesh: Defleshing and Post-Depositional Treatments at K\u0026ouml;rtik Tepe Southeastern Anatolia PPNA Period. Eur J Archaeol 18 \u0026ndash; 1 : 4\u0026ndash;32\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErtuğ F (2006a) An overwiew of the plaited crafts of Turkey (Anatolia and Thrace). In Ertuğ, F. (ed.), Proceedings of the IVth International Congress of Ethnobotany, Ege Yayınları, İstanbul, pp. 297\u0026ndash;306\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErtuğ F (2006b) Turkey. In: Novellino D. and Ertuğ, F. (eds.), \u0026lsquo;Baskets of the World\u0026rsquo; The Social Significance of Plaited Crafts, IVth International Congres of Ethnobotany. Ege Yayınları, İstanbul, 673\u0026ndash;679\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eG\u0026auml;rtner H, Schweingruber FH (2013) Microscopic Preparation Techniques for Plant Stem Analysis. Verlag Dr. Kessel, Remagen, p 78\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGoren-Inbar N, Alperson N, Kislev ME, Simchoni O, Melamed Y, Ben-Nun A, Werker E (2004) Evidence of hominin control of fire at Gesher Benot Ya`aqov. Isr Sci 304:725\u0026ndash;727\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIAWA Commitee (1989) IAWA List of microscobic feature for hard wood identification. IAWA J 10(3):1\u0026ndash;69\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIAWA Commitee (2004) IAWA List of microscobic feature for soft wood identification. IAWA J 25(1):1\u0026ndash;70\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJunkmanns J, Kl\u0026uuml;gl G, Schoch W, Di Pietro G, Hafner A (2019) Neolithic and Bronze Age Archery Equipment from Alpine Ice-Patches:A Review on Components, ConstructionTechniques and Functionality. JNA 21, 283\u0026ndash;314\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKarauğuz G, D\u0026uuml;ring B (2009) A Note on the Prehistory of the Devrek Region, Northern Turkey. Anatolica XXXV: 153\u0026ndash;165\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKeunecke D, M\u0026auml;rki C, Niemz P (2007) Structural and mechanical properties of yew wood. Wood Res 52(2):23\u0026ndash;38\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLev-Yadun S (2007) Wood remains from archaeological excavations: A review with a Near Eastern perspective. 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J Bartin Fac Forestry 24(1):32\u0026ndash;41\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYaman B, Ekmen H (2023) Waterlogged Wood Remains Found in a Late Bronze Age Settlement (İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave) on the Western Black Sea Coast of T\u0026uuml;rkiye. J Archaeol Science: Rep 52:1\u0026ndash;12\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"archaeological-and-anthropological-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"aasc","sideBox":"Learn more about [Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences](http://link.springer.com/journal/12517)","snPcode":"12520","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/12520/3","title":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Basketry, İnönü Cave, Late Bronze Age, Plaiting, Taxus baccata L., Acer campestre L","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4917835/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4917835/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eWood and bark are among the most significant raw materials prehistoric and early historical human communities used to produce tools and goods that shaped their daily life. Since special conditions are required to preserve objects made with these materials until today, we have limited information about how often or how this basic raw material was used. Here, we report evidence of how wood and bark were used in basket crafting and compare them with modern-day uses.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the northwestern coast of T\u0026uuml;rkiye, Zonguldak-Karadeniz Ereğli İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave has special conditions for the preservation of wood and other organic materials. In the Late Bronze Age Level III of the cave (1436\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1123 Cal BC), baskets and evidence of basketry were found among water-filled puddles. These records are valuable for understanding how the environment surrounding archaeological sites was used by its settlers. Analyzes carried out to understand which types of trees in the environment are preferred for basket production highlighted European yew (\u003cem\u003eTaxus baccata\u003c/em\u003e L.) and field maple (cf \u003cem\u003eAcer campestre\u003c/em\u003e L.) species. Production techniques and species analyses of basket remains show the knowledge and level of specialization in basket production of the Late Bronze Age settlers of İn\u0026ouml;n\u0026uuml; Cave.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"How Humans Engineered Possibilities of Landscape: Baskets and Basketry Materials in İnönü Cave","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-09-12 16:16:13","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4917835/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2024-11-12T15:24:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-11-11T17:08:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-10-24T21:16:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"265150631198863628264315050637556386579","date":"2024-10-16T11:36:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"16070287524047143416422187290630070906","date":"2024-09-26T13:28:53+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-09-22T19:10:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-08-19T07:07:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-08-15T23:20:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","date":"2024-08-15T07:50:03+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"archaeological-and-anthropological-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"aasc","sideBox":"Learn more about [Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences](http://link.springer.com/journal/12517)","snPcode":"12520","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/12520/3","title":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"01f356de-afcf-403d-89ee-4840fc84d996","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 12th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-12-30T15:59:36+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4917835","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02139-6","journal":{"identity":"archaeological-and-anthropological-sciences","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences"},"publishedOn":"2024-12-23 15:57:10","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 23rd, 2024"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-09-12 16:16:13","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02139-6","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02139-6","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4917835","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4917835","identity":"rs-4917835","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}