KAYSERİ Ongoing archaeological digs at the Kültepe Kaniş/Karum mound, the cradle of Anatolia’s earliest written records and trade practices dating back nearly 6,500 years, reveal that the region’s historical roots may stretch even further, potentially to 8,000 years ago. The excavations , which were first initiated in 1948 by renowned archaeologist Professor Tahsin Özgüç, are now being carried out under the leadership of Professor Fikri Kulakoğlu from the Faculty of Language, History and