Beneath a Modern Market in Trabzon, a Rare Roman-Era River Harbor Emerges
For years, the Pazarkapı district in Trabzon was simply a marketplace. Few suspected that beneath the demolished Kadınlar Hali building lay a structure that would quietly redefine how we understand Black Sea commerce. Recent archaeological and conservation work has identified the remains as a river harbor connected to the Kuzgundere Stream — and, according to
Ancient Ritual Pit at Oluz Höyük May Represent Anatolia’s Earliest Evidence of Zoroastrian Worship
Across central Anatolia, layers of earth sometimes preserve turning points in religious history. At Oluz Höyük, an archaeological mound near modern Amasya in northern Türkiye, researchers have identified a ritual installation that may represent the earliest archaeological evidence of Zoroastrian ceremonial practice in Anatolia. The interpretation is based on a detailed academic study examining a
Carchemish, the Hittites’ Frontier City on the Euphrates, Introduced Through a New Exhibition in Ankara
One of the most strategically important cities of the Hittite world has returned to public view—this time not on the banks of the Euphrates, but in the heart of Türkiye’s capital. A new exhibition titled “Carchemish of the Hittites on the Banks of the Euphrates: New Discoveries and New Perspectives” has opened at the Museum
A Hittite Goddess Vessel from Eskiyapar and the Ritual of “Drinking the God”
The Hittites were among the earliest state-forming societies of Anatolia, shaping their political power alongside an exceptionally complex religious system. Their rituals, preserved on thousands of cuneiform tablets, describe ceremonies rich in symbolism—many of which have long remained difficult to visualize. A small ceramic vessel unearthed at Eskiyapar now offers a rare and tangible glimpse
International Research Grant Brings Syedra Ancient City’s Theater into the Global Archaeological Spotlight
A major international academic partnership has elevated archaeological research at Syedra, as a joint Turkish–French project led by Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University receives competitive bilateral funding under the Bosphorus Programme.The project is notably the first international bilateral research initiative in the university’s history—marking a milestone for both the institution and the archaeological study of southern
Scientific Study Reveals: The Hittites Practiced an Advanced Hygiene Culture 3,000 Years Ago
Long before modern concepts of sanitation emerged, the Hittites appear to have developed a surprisingly structured and disciplined approach to cleanliness. A new scientific study demonstrates that hygiene in Hittite society was not a marginal habit, but a core element shaping daily life, religious practice, and social order in Late Bronze Age Anatolia. The research,
Pergamon Find Confirms Feces-Based Medicine Was Practiced in Roman Anatolia
Ancient medical texts often describe remedies that sound implausible—or even shocking—to modern readers. Among the most controversial are treatments based on human waste. Until now, such remedies were known only from written sources. A small Roman glass vessel recovered from Pergamon has changed that picture, offering the first direct chemical evidence that these therapies were
A 4,000-Year-Old Silver Goblet Links Anatolia to the Earliest Visions of Cosmic Order
A small silver cup, unearthed decades ago in the Judean Hills, has returned to the center of scholarly debate—this time with Anatolia firmly in the discussion. Known as the ʿAin Samiya Goblet, the vessel dates to the Intermediate Bronze Age (ca. 2650–1950 BCE) and bears one of the most elaborate mythological compositions known from the
Çatalhöyük Study Wins Major Award in Poland: Turkish Scientists Help Redefine Neolithic Social Structure
A groundbreaking study on the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük has received international recognition in Poland, after being selected as the most important foreign archaeological discovery of 2025 by Polish archaeologists. The award highlights research that challenges long-standing assumptions about social organization in early farming communities—placing women at the center of Neolithic life. The distinction was
A 5,000-Year-Old Skull Reveals One of the Earliest Medical Interventions in Anatolia
One of the most striking testimonies to early medical knowledge in Anatolia is now on display at the Samsun Museum. Dating back nearly 5,000 years, a human skull bearing clear evidence of surgical intervention is considered among the earliest known examples of cranial surgery in human history. What makes this discovery exceptional is not only