Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Memduh Büyükkılıç, Head of the Department of Anthropology at Hacı Bayram Veli University, Prof. Dr. Receiving Okşan Başoğlu and his delegation in his office, he received information about the latest situation in the archaeological fossil excavations, which attracted the attention of the world. Metropolitan Mayor Dr. A new era has begun in the fossil excavations, which Memduh Büyükkılıç meticulously followed.
Excavations, which started in September 2018 in the old Taşhan, Çevril, Emmiler and Hırka regions around the Yamula Dam in Kocasinan district, are continuing with the permission of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, under the Presidency of Kayseri Museum and under the sponsorship of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality.
While the archaeological fossil excavation works, which will be Kayseri's reference in paleontology in the world, continue in this period, Hacı Bayram Veli University Anthropology Department Head Prof. Dr. Okşan Başoğlu, Scientific Advisor of the Excavation Team Prof. Dr. Pınar Glasses Kırmızıoğlu and accompanying delegation, Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. He paid a courtesy visit to Memduh Büyükkılıç.
Expressing his satisfaction with the visit, Mayor Büyükkılıç pointed out that Kayseri is an open-air museum and said, “Our ancient city has great riches in the field of paleontology and fossils. Excavations in Yamula, known as the Kızılırmak basin, and in Ağırnas, where Mimar Sinan was born, continue to excite scientists and us. In this sense, we would like to thank our teacher Okşan and his valuable team for continuing the fossil excavation work.”
Büyükkılıç stated that the paleontological history of Kayseri will be rewritten and the construction of the Paleontology Museum continues rapidly.
Haci Bayram Veli University Head of Anthropology Department Prof. Dr. Okşan Başoğlu also thanked President Büyükkılıç for his support to the excavations since the first day.
THE EYES OF THE WORLD ARE ON THESE EXCAVATIONS
Also known as the world-renowned anthropologist and the most important paleoanthropologist in the world, Prof. Dr. Tim White also examined the fossil excavation works on site in the past months and said that these excavations are very important in international standards and that the fossil museum in Kayseri, which is not even in cities such as Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul, will be a first in Turkey.
On the other hand, Finnish Assoc. Dr. Juha Saarinen said that the complete skull fossil belonging to Choerolophodon Pentelici, known as the ancestor of elephants and found on the shores of Yamula Dam, would enter the literature as the only example in the world.