Archaeologists working at Yeşilova Mound in İzmir, Türkiye, have uncovered an 8,200-year-old kohl pen, believed to be the world’s oldest example of eyeliner. The site, occupied between 6500 to 4000 B.C.E., is the oldest known prehistoric settlement in the region.
The discovery adds to a series of artifacts found at Yeşilova Mound that highlight daily life and customs of the ancient cultures there. A previous find also included a container used for storing makeup, indicating a reverence for aesthetics and personal adornment.
This kohl pen potentially changes the history of makeup, pushing its origins back by 3,000 years. If confirmed, the kohl pen would predate similar discoveries from Egypt, reshaping understandings of beauty practices in ancient Anatolia.
Archaeology Discoveries At Yeşilova Mound
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Researchers working at Yeşilova Höyük in İzmir, Türkiye.
Since its discovery in 2003, Yeşilova Mound in the Bornova district of İzmir, Türkiye has been under excavation. Occupied between 6500 to 4000 B.C.E., the site is the oldest prehistoric human settlement in İzmir and roughly 768 miles west of the oldest known temple in the world, Göbekli Tepe.
Under the direction of Associate Professor Zafer Derin of Ege University, archaeologists have unearthed several artifacts from Yeşilova Mound that paint a picture of what life was like for ancient groups in the region.
With support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Bornova Municipality, and the Aegean University, Professor Derin has made multiple exciting discoveries at Yeşilova Mound. In total, the archaeology team has unearthed nine villages dating as far back as 8,500 years. They also discovered remains of sea bream, a deadly species of stingray, sea urchin, oyster, and mussel dating back thousands of years, confirming seafood as part of the diet of the ancient people in this region.
Recently, Professor Derin announced the discovery of a small yet exciting artifact from Yeşilova Mound: a pointed piece of kohl.
Archaeologists believe this kohl pen, measuring roughly 3.7 inches, is not only the oldest example of kohl in the world, but also proof that ancient Anatolians used makeup.
Historically, kohl has been used by ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks for aesthetic purposes. Both men and women would use the black pigment as eyeliner for aesthetic and protective purposes. The discovery of this kohl in Anatolia reveals that this custom likely extended to this region of Türkiye.
How Ancient Anatolians Used Kohl As Eyeliner
Demirören News AgencyExcavation Head and Associate Professor at Ege University Dr. Zafer Derin holding the kohl pen.
While the research team awaits results from the mineral analysis of the kohl pen, they are confident that the artifact possessed aesthetic purposes.
“There is a black paint residue on the tip of the find. These are called kohl. It is an ornamental tool. This shows that Aegean women 8,200 years ago also cared about their ornaments, were fond of their beauty, and took care of themselves,” Professor Zafer Derin stated, according to SonDakika, a Turkish news outlet.
Previously, archaeologists at Yeşilova Mound discovered a container meant for storing makeup and other ornaments.
“A sharpened stone pencil is used by dipping it into a container filled with paint. Today, this usage is still present in various parts of Anatolia. This is not our first artifact showing that Aegean women in the region attach importance to their beauty. We also found a vessel in which they put their ornaments,” Professor Derin confirmed.
This discovery is not the first example of kohl use or personal ornamentation in Türkiye, but it is for this region.
“We have found similar examples in periods up to 4,000 years ago,” Professor Derin explained.
So far, the oldest example of kohl usage stems from Ancient Egypt in 3100 B.C.E. If confirmed to be kohl, this new discovery from Yeşilova Mound pushes the use of this cosmetic back roughly 3,000 years, changing the history of makeup as we know it.