1,300-Year-Old Communion Bread Unearthed in Karaman: Inscribed “With Gratitude to Blessed Jesus”
Archaeologists have unearthed 1,300-year-old Communion bread — decorated barley loaves used in early Christian rituals — in the ancient city of Topraktepe (Eirenepolis), located in Türkiye’s Karaman province.The excavations, conducted under the supervision of the Karaman Museum Directorate and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, uncovered five charred loaves dating to the 7th–8th centuries
9-Million-Year-Old Giraffe Skull Unearthed in Türkiye’s Çankırı Region: Almost Perfectly Preserved
Archaeologists in central Türkiye have uncovered a nearly complete giraffe skull dating back around 9 million years. The discovery, made at the Çorakyerler Vertebrate Fossil Site, may represent a previously unknown species. A nearly complete giraffe skull fossil estimated to be 9 million years old has been unearthed in Türkiye’s Çankırı province, at the Çorakyerler
Seljuk Traces in St. Paul’s Lystra: Oldest Examples of the Evil Eye Bead Found
Archaeological excavations in Lystra, the ancient city known from the Bible as one of the places visited by St. Paul the Apostle, have revealed Seljuk-era traces and turquoise-colored “evil eye” beads inside children’s graves. Researchers believe these beads represent a cultural bridge — where Turkic beliefs merged with earlier Anatolian traditions, giving birth to the
Unbroken Life Through the Ages: 8,000 Years of Continuous Settlement Unearthed at Gökhöyük in Konya
Archaeologists in Türkiye’s central province of Konya have uncovered evidence of an extraordinary 8,000-year span of continuous human habitation at Gökhöyük (also known as Kanal Höyük), located in the Seydişehir district. First identified by British archaeologist James Mellaart in 1954, the site reveals settlement layers dating from the 7th millennium BCE to the 1st millennium
3,200-Year-Old Hittite Sculpture Workshop in Yozgat Damaged by Looters
A 3,200-year-old Hittite sculpture workshop in Karakız, a village in Sorgun district of Yozgat, Türkiye, is being ravaged by illegal excavations. A basalt lion statue—one of the few surviving examples of Hittite stonework in the region—has been severely damaged by treasure hunters, raising urgent calls for protection. Archaeologists have identified the site as a rare
11th-Century Graves Unearthed in Kayseri’s Monumental Roman Mosaic Villa
Archaeologists excavating in İncesu, Kayseri, have uncovered children’s and adult burials dating to the 11th century within Central Anatolia’s largest Roman mosaic site. The discovery shows that a villa first built in the 3rd–4th centuries CE remained in use until the medieval period. Excavations in Örenşehir, İncesu district of Kayseri, have revealed a striking overlap
Archaeologists Discover Hittite Bird Divination Tablets and Royal Seals in the Ancient City of Samuha
Archaeologists working at the Hittite settlement of Kayalıpınar, known in antiquity as Samuha, have uncovered an extraordinary state archive containing 56 cuneiform tablets on bird divination and 22 seal impressions belonging to kings, princes, princesses, priests, and high-ranking officials of the Hittite Empire. The excavation was led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Maner of Koç
A 5,000-Year-Old Pottery Fragment With a Human Face was Discovered in Konya
Archaeologists excavating Gökhöyük, near Seydişehir in Türkiye’s Konya province, have uncovered a pottery fragment dating back about 5,000 years. What makes the find remarkable is the depiction of a human face carved onto its surface—a rare ritual object rather than an ordinary household vessel. A Settlement Spanning 7,000 Years Gökhöyük, first identified in the 1950s
World’s Oldest Mental Hospital: Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery to Be Restored
The Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery in Derinkuyu, Nevşehir, believed to be the world’s first psychiatric treatment center from the Byzantine era, is set to undergo restoration and open as a museum. Located in Cumhuriyet District, the monastery’s entrance was discovered in the 1990s beneath an abandoned building. The complex features tunnels, carved chambers, cellars, and
Spectacular Find in Kayseri: 3 Giant Elephant Skulls From 7.7 Million Years Ago Revealed
A new fossil season at Yamula Dam in central Türkiye has delivered a remarkable discovery: three massive elephant skulls dating back nearly eight million years. The excavation site, known for its extraordinary preservation of prehistoric wildlife, is helping scientists reconstruct Anatolia’s ancient ecosystems during the Late Miocene period. From Shepherd’s Discovery to Global Significance The