Settlement layout and social organisation in the mid-6th Millennium BC at Uğurlu on the island of Gökçeada, North-eastern Aegean

Abstract This article examines the complex social organization that emerged in the mid-6th Millennium BC from the perspective of new research conducted in Uğurlu (Phase III), on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros). The mid-6th Millennium BC witnessed major cultural transformations and abrupt changes in virtually all regions from Anatolia to Central Europe, as new settlements brought new forms of social organization. Our aim here is to stimulate further debate about the early complex social organization in the mid-6th Millennium BC. The results of this study reveal a well-organized rural community on the island, reflected in the complex settlement layout, with ritual areas, multifunctional central buildings and activity areas.