2,800-Year-Old Inscriptions from Körzüt Reveal Urartu’s Conquest Strategy and Divine Legitimacy
Newly uncovered 2,800-year-old cuneiform inscriptions from the Körzüt Fortress in eastern Anatolia provide rare, first-hand evidence of how the Kingdom of Urartu justified military expansion through divine authority. Dating to the reign of King Minua, the texts document not only conquest but the ideological language that bound warfare, religion, and state power together. Körzüt Fortress
A 1,000-Year-Old Fortress Overlooking the Melendiz Plain Still Stands in Central Anatolia
Rising from a sheer rock formation above the Melendiz Plain, the medieval Murtaza Castle continues to dominate the landscape of central Anatolia nearly a millennium after its construction. Located near the village of Murtaza in the Çiftlik district of Niğde, the fortress offers rare insight into how geography, military strategy, and natural topography shaped defensive
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
7,500-Year-Old Stone Seal Unearthed at Tadım Höyük in Eastern Anatolia
Archaeologists excavating Tadım Höyük, a multi-layered settlement mound in eastern Anatolia, have uncovered a rare stone seal dating back approximately 7,500 years, offering new insight into early social organization along the Upper Euphrates Basin. The discovery reinforces the region’s role as one of Anatolia’s earliest and most enduring centers of human settlement. The excavations are
Mysterious Stone Structure Near Kars Raises New Questions About an Unstudied Peak
A solitary stone construction perched atop a hill outside Kars is drawing increasing attention, not because anyone understands it, but precisely because no one does. Rising above Bulanık village, the summit known locally as “Ziyaret Tepesi” or “Evliya Tepesi” hosts a five-meter-high structure whose origins remain completely undocumented. A hill between two mountains — and
5,000-Year-Old Carbonized Barley Found in Early Bronze Age Settlement in Van’s Gürpınar District
Archaeologists in eastern Türkiye have unearthed a remarkable find at the İremir Mound (İremir Höyüğü) in Van’s Gürpınar district — carbonized barley grains dating back around 5,000 years, offering a rare glimpse into the Early Bronze Age agricultural practices of Eastern Anatolia. Excavations at the site, conducted under the supervision of Van Museum and the
3,000-Year-Old Urartian Wall Paintings Protected Beneath Van’s Garibin Hill
Deep beneath the rugged terrain of eastern Türkiye, archaeologists have uncovered one of the most extraordinary artistic survivals of the Urartian Kingdom — a network of subterranean chambers whose walls still bear vivid, 3,000-year-old paintings. The fragile murals, discovered accidentally during an illegal excavation in Van’s Tuşba district, are now being carefully preserved under a
Architectural Traces Predating the Karaz Culture Unearthed in Eastern Anatolia’s Değirmenler Mound
Archaeologists in eastern Türkiye have uncovered architectural remains predating the Karaz (Early Bronze Age) culture during ongoing rescue excavations at Değirmenler Mound in Erzurum’s Yakutiye district. The discovery—revealing structures, hearths, ovens, and domestic layers dating back more than 6,000 years—suggests that settled life in the region began earlier than previously believed. The excavation, conducted under
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
Six Aramaic Inscriptions Unearthed at Zernaki Tepe Reveal Forgotten Parthian Frontier in Eastern Türkiye
Archaeologists have uncovered six new Aramaic inscriptions at Zernaki Tepe, a 3,000-year-old ancient city in Van Province, eastern Türkiye. The discoveries — including three deliberately erased texts — illuminate a turbulent Parthian-era presence in Anatolia and the shifting power struggles between empires that once vied for control of the region. Located in the Yukarı Işıklı