This 4th-Century Mosaic in Türkiye Reveals the Legendary Wealth of Troy
Discovered in the ancient city of Daphne (Harbiye) in southern Türkiye, the 4th-century Khresis Mosaic offers more than a decorative scene. It captures a moment where myth, wealth, and power intersect—rooted in the enduring memory of Troy’s legendary riches. Today, the mosaic is displayed at the Hatay Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum, where it stands out
Harbetsuvan Tepesi Reveals Organized Neolithic Settlement 10,000 Years Ago
Harbetsuvan Tepesi, in southeastern Türkiye, doesn’t look like much at first. Low rises, scattered stones—nothing that immediately signals a breakthrough. But beneath that quiet surface, new research is pointing to something far more revealing: even small Neolithic communities were already living in structured, carefully organized settlements nearly 10,000 years ago. A Dense Settlement, Not a
5,000-Year-Old Bread Discovered at Küllüoba Reveals Early Recipe and Ritual Use in Bronze Age Anatolia
A charred piece of bread unearthed at Küllüoba Höyük, near Eskişehir in western Türkiye, is offering an unusually intimate glimpse into daily life—and symbolic practices—during the Early Bronze Age. Dating back roughly 5,000 years, the find stands out not only for its preservation, but for where it was discovered: placed near the threshold of a
Under the Blazing Sun, It All Began: The First Day of the Patara Lighthouse Excavation
The Patara Lighthouse excavation began under a blazing July sun in 2004, as a small team of archaeologists and students pushed through sand and heat with little indication of what lay beneath. There was no road, no visible structure—only dunes stretching toward the sea. But even then, there was a growing sense that this was
New Excavations Begin at Pessinus, One of Anatolia’s Most Important Ancient Religious Centers
A new excavation season is beginning at Pessinus, a site long recognized as one of Anatolia’s key religious and cultural centers. The project will be carried out under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adem Yurtsever of Anadolu University, following a recent reassignment of excavation leadership. The transition reflects the standard practice within Turkish archaeology
2,400-Year-Old Submerged City Remains Filmed Beneath Dicle Dam in Diyarbakır
Beneath the still surface of the Dicle Dam Lake, traces of an older Eğil are still there — not erased, just hidden. Recent underwater footage recorded in the Eğil district of Diyarbakır has brought these remains back into view. During a routine training dive, search-and-rescue teams documented architectural structures lying beneath the reservoir — some
Savatra Ancient City Photograph Wins “Photo of the Year” at 2026 Current Archaeology Awards
A remarkable photograph taken at the ancient city of Savatra in central Anatolia has been selected as “Photo of the Year” at the 2026 Current Archaeology Awards, one of the most recognized international honors in the field of archaeology. Captured by Turkish photographer Tahir Ceylan, the award-winning image presents the ruins of Savatra beneath a
Çakmaktepe: An Early Neolithic Settlement Reframing the Origins of Sedentary Life in Southeast Türkiye
In the limestone uplands west of the Harran Plain, a quiet archaeological site is helping scholars rethink one of humanity’s biggest turning points: the shift from mobile foraging to settled life. Çakmaktepe, excavated within the framework of the Taş Tepeler Project, preserves rare architectural and cultural evidence from the earliest phases of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic
Konya’s “Dümdüm Rock”: A Phrygian Tomb That Echoes Across Time
In the rural landscape of central Anatolia, a solitary rock formation near İncesu village in Seydişehir, Konya Province, carries both an archaeological legacy and a local legend. Known as “Dümdüm Rock,” the site preserves a rock-cut tomb attributed to the Phrygian period—an era that shaped much of Anatolia’s early Iron Age cultural identity. What sets
3,000 Ritual Hydriskoi Discovered at Demeter–Kore Temple in Aigai, Western Türkiye
A quiet sanctuary overlooking the rugged slopes of Yuntdağı has revealed an extraordinary testimony to ancient ritual life. Archaeologists working at the Demeter–Kore Temple in Aigai have uncovered approximately 3,000 small terracotta water vessels known as hydriskoi — one of the most substantial votive accumulations ever documented at the site. The excavation, conducted for the