Shocking Finds in the Lydian Kitchen: New Hearths, Fish Bones, and Evidence of Dog Consumption at Daskyleion

On the shores of Lake Manyas in northwestern Türkiye, the ancient city of Daskyleion has revealed fresh insights into the daily life of its inhabitants. Archaeologists excavating the so-called “Lydian kitchen” uncovered two additional hearths, alongside seeds, fish bones, and animal remains. Among the discoveries were dog bones bearing cut marks, strengthening the argument that dog meat was once consumed in this Anatolian city.

Traces of a Lydian Table

The newly exposed hearths were surrounded by fish vertebrae and spines, a clear sign that fishing from the nearby lake played a vital role in the local diet. Hundreds of seed fragments also surfaced, pointing to a food-processing area where plant resources were prepared alongside meat and fish.

Dog Bones: Scarcity, Ritual, or Preference?

Perhaps the most controversial finds are the butchered dog bones. Earlier excavations had already raised the possibility of dog consumption in Lydian culture; the new evidence now confirms it with greater certainty. Whether this practice reflected ritual sacrifice, a response to food shortages, or simply a dietary choice remains open to scholarly debate.

Kitchen in Flames, Rebuilt Twice

Excavation layers show that the Lydian kitchen was destroyed by fire at least twice: first at the end of the 7th century BCE, and again in the mid-6th century BCE. After each catastrophe, the kitchen was rebuilt, only to be overlain later by a massive three-room structure dating to the Persian (Achaemenid) period. This stratigraphy illustrates the city’s resilience and its transition into the administrative hub of Hellespontine Phrygia under Achaemenid rule.

Excavating Grain by Grain

Using fine tools more commonly found in dental clinics than on excavation sites, the team is progressing with extreme caution. Every soil bucket is brought to the dig house, where flotation techniques isolate microscopic seeds and bone fragments. This slow but systematic approach ensures that even the smallest traces of diet and environment are preserved for study.

Why Daskyleion Matters

Once a key node between Anatolia and the wider Mediterranean world, Daskyleion evolved from a Lydian stronghold into the Persian administrative capital of the region. Today, its multi-layered remains provide a rare glimpse into the complex cultural interactions of the first millennium BCE—down to what people cooked, ate, and perhaps even considered delicacies.

Cover Photo: Excavation area of the so-called Lydian kitchen at Daskyleion, where two new hearths and food remains were unearthed. Credit: Miraç Kaya/AA