The World’s Oldest Swords and the Birth of Warfare at Arslantepe
More than four decades ago, excavations at Arslantepe Mound revealed a find that would fundamentally alter how archaeologists understand the origins of warfare. Unearthed inside a mud-brick palace complex, a cache of nine metal blades—long regarded today as the world’s oldest known swords—pushed the emergence of sword technology back by at least a millennium. Until
A Unique Artuqid-Era Ivory Archer’s Ring Discovered at Hasankeyf’s Great Palace
Archaeological excavations at Hasankeyf during the 2025 field season have yielded an exceptional discovery that sheds new light on elite culture in medieval Anatolia. In the southeastern corner of the Great Palace complex, researchers uncovered a rare ivory archer’s ring (zihgir) dating to the Artuqid period (12th–13th century)—a find described as unique both in material
Assyrian Goddess Ishtar Emerges on a Silver Pendant at the Ancient Port of Amos
At the ancient port city of Amos, overlooking the Gulf of Gökova on Türkiye’s southwestern coast, archaeologists have uncovered a rare silver pendant bearing symbols associated with the Assyrian goddess Ishtar. Small in scale but rich in meaning, the object offers new evidence for the cultural reach of Near Eastern belief systems into coastal Anatolia
Possible Phoenician Infant Jar Burials Discovered at Oluz Höyük in Central Anatolia
Archaeological excavations at Oluz Höyük, an ancient multi-layered settlement near the modern city of Amasya in north-central Türkiye, have uncovered a group of infant and fetal burials that may point to previously undocumented Phoenician ritual practices in the Anatolian interior. The burials, placed inside ceramic jars, are considered unique within the archaeological record of Anatolia
2,500-Year-Old Carian Rock-Cut Tomb in Marmaris Placed Under Protection
A 2,500-year-old rock-cut tomb in Marmaris, southwestern Türkiye, has been formally secured under heritage protection following a conservation-focused intervention led by local authorities and academic specialists. The monument, known as the Yeşilbelde Rock Tomb, has been registered as a protected cultural asset and stabilized against environmental and structural risks. Located in Yeşilbelde neighborhood, the tomb
Greek-Inscribed Late Antique Mosaic Unearthed in Türkiye’s Hatay Province
A Late Antique floor mosaic bearing a Greek inscription has been uncovered in southern Türkiye’s Hatay province during foundation excavation work at a site severely damaged by the February 6, 2023 earthquakes. The discovery once again highlights the extraordinary archaeological depth of Antakya, ancient Antioch, even amid large-scale post-disaster reconstruction. The mosaic was found in
A 2,600-Year-Old Persian-Era Tandoor Discovered at Oluz Höyük by Turkish Archaeologists
Buried just beneath the floor of an ancient domestic space at Oluz Höyük in northern Türkiye, a clay-built oven has resurfaced with a familiar shape. Despite being 2,600 years old, the structure looks strikingly similar to the tandoors still used in Anatolian kitchens today—an architectural continuity that spans millennia. The discovery was made during the
A Roman Elite’s Marble Bathtub Reused as a Fountain Trough Discovered at Ephesus
At Ephesus, one of the most intensively studied cities of the ancient Mediterranean, archaeologists continue to encounter the unexpected consequences of urban life stretching across centuries. During the 2025 excavation season at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, a finely carved Roman marble bathtub—once associated with elite domestic life—has been uncovered along the city’s Stadium Street,
A Palace Beneath a Palace Discovered at Kültepe, Site of Anatolia’s Earliest Written Records
Excavations at Kültepe Kaniš-Karum, one of Anatolia’s most significant archaeological sites, have revealed an unexpected new layer of the past. Archaeologists have identified the remains of a monumental palace structure lying beneath a previously known palace, suggesting that centralized authority at Kültepe developed earlier—and on a larger scale—than previously understood. The discovery comes from ongoing
A 2,000-Year-Old Incense Burner Depicting the Egyptian God Serapis Discovered in Ephesus
Archaeologists in the ancient city of Ephesus have uncovered a finely modeled terracotta incense burner carved with the likeness of the Egyptian god Serapis, adding a striking new piece to the puzzle of cultural exchange in Roman Anatolia. The artifact was unearthed during ongoing excavations at the monumental Harbor Bath complex on the city’s 570-meter-long