Tekkekoy Caves Archaeology Valley Tekkeköy Caves Archaeology Valley, located in Tekkeköy, Samsun, is a significant site that reveals a settlement dating back to the Stone Age. The valley was first explored in 1941 by İsmail Kılıç Kökten and a delegation, which led to the discovery of a large number of prehistoric caves, shelters, and flat settlements. Among the finds from the Old Stone Age are arrows, spearheads, axes, and cutting and scraping tools made through stone chipping. Apart from the tools from the Old Stone Age, artifacts such as pottery and jewelry from the Bronze Age were also unearthed. While the forms and techniques resemble those found in Central Anatolia, some bone tools suggest a higher level of craftsmanship. At the location where Çınarcık and Fındıcak Valleys meet, a Phrygian castle known as Delikli Kaya was discovered. The castle may have been used for inter-trade purposes. Moreover, traces of a ceremonial road used by high-ranking Hittite administrators were found in the valley. The valley is a site of many important findings from the Middle Stone Age, Early Bronze Age, and Hittite periods, and the discoveries are now exhibited at the Samsun Archeology and Ethnography Museum. The Old Stone Age layer, found in the caves of the valley and dated back to 60,000 BC-15,000 BC, represents the oldest settlement found in the Black Sea Region. The first cave dwellers were communities that had not yet developed a sense of community and were not producers.