ISTANBUL, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Archeologists have discovered in western Türkiye one of the oldest water channels in human history dating back 8,200 years, Türkiye's Demiroren news agency reported on Thursday.
The ancient water channel was found in the new excavations at Yesilova Mound in the province of Izmir in Türkiye's Aegean region, it said.
Izmir's first village settlement was located around Yesilova, and the 6.5-meter-wide and 220-meter-long water channel was running through the middle of the settlement, Zafer Derin, associate professor of Ege University and head of the excavation team, was quoted by Demiroren as saying.
According to Derin, the settlement was built on both sides of the canal and was not affected by floods. "Because the construction of the canal was made accordingly," he said.
The channel had been used for four generations, Derin said, adding the archeologists were only able to open a small part of it, because the inside of the canal is very densely filled with pebbles.
There have been ongoing excavation works in the Yesilova and Yassitepe mounds, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Bornova District Municipality, and Ege University. ■
