A New Study Illuminates How Neolithic Lifeways Spread from Anatolia to the Aegean and Europe
A sweeping new analysis published in Science is reshaping our understanding of how early farming traditions radiated outward from Anatolia. The study sheds light on long-debated questions about how Neolithic lifeways moved from Anatolia to the Aegean and eventually Europe, revealing a far more intricate story than the linear models once proposed. Western Anatolia as
New Excavations at Perre Reveal Expanding Sacred Zones and Hidden Layers of Roman-Era Life
The 2025 archaeological season at Perre, one of the five principal cities of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene, has come to a close with significant new discoveries that deepen the understanding of the city’s religious and social landscape. The work, carried out across a newly uncovered 2,500-square-meter area in Adıyaman’s Örenli district, has revealed architectural
An amphitheater-like Neolithic structure has been uncovered at Karahantepe in southeastern Türkiye
Archaeologists in southeastern Türkiye have brought to light a striking Neolithic structure at Karahantepe—a circular, amphitheater-like building carved into bedrock and lined with tiered stone benches, human sculptures, and sculpted heads emerging from its walls. The find opens an unexpected window onto how some of the world’s earliest settled communities gathered, communicated, and expressed shared
At Termessos, Archaeologists Restore Two Monumental Tombs After Millennia
High on the rugged slopes beneath Mount Güllük, one of Türkiye’s most dramatic archaeological landscapes has begun to reveal its monumental funerary architecture once more. Termessos—protected for millennia by its steep terrain and remembered as the mountain city that even Alexander the Great could not conquer—is now the focus of an ambitious restoration campaign that
A New Wave of Neolithic Surprises at Taş Tepeler: Mysterious ‘Death Mask’ Sculpture Unveiled in Southeastern Türkiye
Human-like faces carved into stone, a rare double-sided bead, and an unsettling sculpture evoking the stillness of death—Türkiye’s vast Taş Tepeler region has revealed some of its most enigmatic Neolithic discoveries to date. The announcements came this week in Şanlıurfa, where the Ministry of Culture and Tourism shared 30 previously unknown finds that reshape current
Was Öksüt Castle Once a Hittite Stronghold? Local Experts Reconsider the Origins of a Massive Rock-Cut Fortress in Central Anatolia
High on the southern slopes of Mount Erciyes, the vast rock-cut complex of Öksüt Castle dominates the landscape with a network of carved chambers, tunnels, cisterns, and multi-level passageways. Although long known to the local population, the fortress is once again drawing attention as scholars and heritage specialists revisit longstanding claims of a Hittite-era origin
Turkish Excavation Team Makes Major Progress at the Ancient City of Syedra
Syedra, rising above the Mediterranean on the steep ridges near modern Alanya, is undergoing one of the most dynamic archaeological transformations in southern Türkiye. Under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer of Alaaddin Keykubat University, the excavation project has advanced at an unprecedented pace, exposing large parts of the ancient settlement and reshaping
New Coastal Excavations at Perinthos Reveal Signs of Shell Processing on the Marmara Shore
Archaeologists working along the northern shores of the Sea of Marmara have uncovered compelling clues to a little-known aspect of daily life in ancient Perinthos. Recent excavations at Mola Burnu—one of the least explored corners of the ancient city—have brought to light a dense concentration of pierced mussel shells, carefully carved bone hairpins, and multiperiod
A 2,000-Year-Old Stadium Emerges at Blaundos: The Cliff-Top “Fortress City” of Anatolia Reveals a New Landmark
Archaeologists have begun excavating a Roman-era stadium perched above the dramatic canyons of Uşak’s Ulubey district — a discovery that could turn the ancient city of Blaundos into one of western Türkiye’s most distinctive archaeological landscapes. Surrounded by the sheer cliffs of the Ulubey Canyon system, the ancient city of Blaundos has long been known
3,000-Year-Old Honey-Barley Bread Recreated in Ancient Hasankeyf
Researchers in Türkiye’s historic district of Hasankeyf have successfully recreated a 3,000-year-old honey-barley bread, using instructions preserved in cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. The experimental culinary project, conducted by faculty members at Batman University’s Hasankeyf Vocational School, brings one of the world’s earliest documented bread recipes back to life. The academic team—İlker Aksoy, Hüseyin Gül,