İnkaya Cave is located in the north of the Dursunbey district of Balıkesir, approximately 5-6 km north of the Delice Neighborhood, in the Kızıltepe area.

It is seen that there was a conscious effort behind the planning of the motifs in these caves to be used as cult centers in terms of hunting and religious rituals. These paintings, which reflect the beliefs and rituals of the Neolithic Age, include themes such as life, death and hunting.1

To the south of the cave entrance, there is a group of four stylized human figures arranged side by side. Two of these figures are women, the other two are men. The figures stand in groups of two and independently of each other. On the right side of the group, stylized motifs continue the scene. These motifs have been interpreted by D. Yalçıklı as a stylized expression of the formation, development and birth process of the fetus in the womb.

On the north wall of the cave, there is a second area of ​​painting that is 6.70 meters long and 3 meters high. In this area, there are unexplained plant and geometric patterns. At the top of the scene in question, there is a V-shaped motif and to the right of it, a serpent-like shape with a twisted structure of approximately 0,50 meters in height, attracts attention. In this scene, there is a human-like figure standing with its arms outstretched on the left extension of the motif that resembles a slingshot. In the lower part of the scene, plant and geometric patterns similar to a wheat ear and a cross motif are seen. Similar motifs are also encountered in the Van Girls' Caves, especially in section 1; here, there are swastika figures. Although the dots scattered inside the cross are similar to the motifs in the Inkaya Cave, the difference between them is whether the dots are filled or empty. These patterns continue to the right on the cave wall, but since this section has been seriously damaged by treasure hunters, the patterns have become unrecognizable.2.

  1. Two Neolithic Ritual Centers in East Mysia NW Turkey: The Baltalıin and İnkaya Caves, Derya Yalçıklı ↩︎
  2. Prehistoric Pictorial Caves of Uludağ, Mustafa Şahin ↩︎
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