Arslantepe Mound: New Clues to the World’s First State System

The ancient site of Arslantepe in Malatya, Türkiye, continues to reshape our understanding of early civilization. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021, the mound has been excavated for over 65 years by Italian archaeologists and is recognized as the birthplace of one of the world’s earliest state systems.

Prof. Dr. Francesca Balossi Restelli, current director of the excavations, announced that this year’s fieldwork revealed striking new evidence of social and architectural change from the Late Chalcolithic through the Iron Age. “We uncovered a much larger building than expected, pointing to shifts in family and social organization,” Restelli explained.

The Palace and the Oldest Swords

Arslantepe is famed for its vast 4,000-square-meter palace, a unique structure that visitors can still walk through today, complete with preserved walls and corridors. Inside, archaeologists discovered the world’s earliest known swords — copper-arsenic alloy blades inlaid with silver. These weapons, Restelli noted, are significant not only for their advanced metallurgy but also as evidence of the palace’s military authority.

5,000 Artifacts Awaiting a Museum

More than 5,000 objects from Arslantepe are housed in the Malatya Archaeology Museum. However, the museum remains closed due to earthquake damage and ongoing restoration. Restelli expressed hope that the museum will reopen larger and more comprehensive, allowing visitors to better experience the life and power of the Arslantepe palace.

A New Visitor Center for Global Audiences

On October 4, the Arslantepe Visitor Center will open its doors, offering exhibitions, panels, and documentary films to showcase the mound’s multilayered history. According to Restelli, the center will play a key role in raising awareness of Malatya’s heritage and attracting more international visitors.

Fieldwork and Future Prospects

This year’s season began on July 10 and lasted two and a half months. The team examined occupation layers from both the Late Chalcolithic and Iron Age. Excavations will pause as the Italian researchers return home, but the work will resume in July next year.

Why Arslantepe Matters

Arslantepe is not simply another archaeological site. It is the place where humanity’s first bureaucracy emerged, where monumental architecture signaled centralized power, and where the earliest swords testified to organized military strength. On the Anatolian plain, the roots of the modern state stretch back nearly 6,000 years — and Arslantepe remains the key to unlocking that story.