1,500-Year-Old Roman Mosaic Unearthed in Mardin During “Anatolian Heritage” Operation
Authorities uncover hidden Late Roman mosaic buried beneath concrete slab in southeastern Türkiye A spectacular 1,500-year-old floor mosaic depicting human and animal figures has been discovered in the Derik district of Mardin, southeastern Türkiye, during a smuggling operation code-named “Anatolian Heritage” (Anadolu Mirası). The mosaic—spanning approximately 60 square meters and dating to the Late Roman
1,500-Year-Old Greek Mosaic Unearthed at Urfa Castle Reveals Names of Early Byzantine Clergy
Archaeologists working at the ancient Urfa Castle in southeastern Türkiye have uncovered a 5th-century Greek-inscribed floor mosaic decorated with intricate plant, animal, and geometric motifs. The discovery, believed to belong to a small church, chapel, or martyr shrine, provides new insights into the religious and social hierarchy of the early Byzantine city of Edessa —
12,000-Year-Old Underwater Rock Paintings Discovered Beneath Atatürk Dam in Southeastern Türkiye
Underwater engravings reveal traces of prehistoric life in Southeastern Türkiye Archaeologists in Türkiye have documented rock engravings dating back more than 12,000 years beneath the waters of the Atatürk Dam in Adıyaman Province — a discovery shedding new light on the prehistoric communities that once lived along the Euphrates basin. The engravings, believed to belong
Archaeologists Trace Proto-Turkic Presence in Central Anatolia Back 2,600 Years at Kerkenes Mound
In a groundbreaking revelation from the heart of Türkiye, archaeologists working at the Kerkenes Mound in Yozgat’s Sorgun district have uncovered evidence suggesting that the architectural and cultural roots of Proto-Turkic peoples in Anatolia may reach as far back as 2,600 years. The discovery, led by Prof. Dr. Şevket Dönmez under the Ministry of Culture
4500-Year-Old Burnt House and Hellenistic Fortress Wall Unearthed at Aşağıseyit Mound in Denizli
Located in Türkiye’s western province of Denizli, Aşağıseyit Mound stands as one of the key archaeological sites revealing uninterrupted settlement layers from the Late Chalcolithic to the Roman period. The mound, which has preserved traces of eight distinct habitation phases, continues to shed light on the cultural transitions of inner Western Anatolia — from early
3,300-Year-Old Hittite Tablets and Official Seals Unearthed at Oylum Höyük Reveal a Lost Administrative Center
Archaeologists working at Oylum Höyük in Kilis, near the Turkish–Syrian border, have uncovered four cuneiform tablets — two written in Hittite and two in Akkadian — along with five clay seal impressions belonging to local administrators of the Hittite Empire. The finds, dating to the 13th–14th centuries B.C., shed new light on how the empire
Lost Archive of the Mitanni Empire with Akkadian Cuneiform Tablets and an Unknown Hittite Prince Unearthed in Türkiye
Archaeologists have unearthed a lost archive of the Mitanni Empire, including dozens of Akkadian cuneiform tablets and seal impressions belonging to a previously unknown Hittite prince, during excavations at the ancient city of Alalakh (Aççana Höyük) in southern Türkiye’s Hatay Province. The discovery, conducted under the Heritage for the Future Project (Geleceğe Miras Projesi), sheds
8,000-Year-Old Life Traces Unearthed in Delikli Cave, Bitlis: From Prehistory to the Urartians
Archaeologists excavating Delikli Cave in Türkiye’s Bitlis Province have uncovered traces of human life dating back 8,000 years — including obsidian tools, handmade pottery, Urartian-era burials, and medieval building remains — revealing a rare continuum of settlement from prehistory through the Middle Ages. Perched about 60 meters above the current level of Lake Van in
Daily Life Unearthed at Karahantepe: Over 30 Neolithic Dwellings Discovered in Southeastern Türkiye
Archaeologists excavating the Neolithic site of Karahantepe in Şanlıurfa — one of the key locations within the Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) Project — have uncovered more than 30 small dwellings dating back 11,000 years. The discovery reveals that this ancient settlement was not only a place of monumental architecture and ritual but also home to
Roman-Era Settlement Unearthed in Adıyaman’s Mountains May Have Been a Large-Scale Wine Production Center
Archaeologists in southeastern Türkiye have identified a vast 4th-century Roman settlement in the mountains of Adıyaman’s Gerger district, revealing evidence of industrial-scale wine production and rural life on the empire’s eastern frontier. The discovery, made by the Adıyaman Museum Directorate near Oymaklı village, spans roughly 150 dönüms (15 hectares) of rugged terrain overlooking the Kahta