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Roman-Era Tomb of an Elite Woman Discovered in Turkey’s Ancient Lycian City of Olympos
A monumental tomb uncovered in the ancient city of Olympos on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast is offering a rare look at how one elite woman was remembered in Roman-period Lycia. The discovery was made in the harbor district of Olympos, a coastal settlement in Antalya’s Kumluca district and one of the best-known cities of ancient Lycia.…
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A Woman, a Tray of Gold, and the Memory of Troy: What the Khresis Mosaic Reveals
At the center of the Khresis Mosaic, a woman stands holding a tray heavy with gold and gemstones. There is no movement, no chaos—only a deliberate gesture. And yet, behind that stillness lies a story of conquest, memory, and the enduring idea of wealth taken from a fallen city. Discovered in the ancient city of…
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2,000-Year-Old Medusa Mosaic at Kibyra Reopens to Visitors in Turkey
In the ancient city of Kibyra, tucked into the highlands of southwestern Turkey, one of antiquity’s most striking floor compositions has re-emerged with the season. The Medusa mosaic, dating back nearly 2,000 years, has been uncovered after its winter protection and is once again open to visitors. Each year, the mosaic is carefully covered during…
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16,000-Year-Old Dogs Identified in Turkey: Ancient DNA Pushes Back Origins of Dog Domestication
Early dogs identified in Turkey are now reshaping what scientists know about dog domestication. New ancient DNA evidence from the Pınarbaşı site reveals that dogs were already living alongside humans around 16,000 years ago—thousands of years earlier than previously confirmed. The discovery, based on full genome analysis of Upper Palaeolithic remains, places central Anatolia at…
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Forgotten 2,300-Year-Old City in Turkey Targeted by Looters as Excavations Remain Frozen
Hidden in the rugged hills of western Turkey, the ancient city of Amyzon has survived for more than two millennia behind towering stone walls. Today, however, the site faces a different danger — illegal excavations and neglect. Despite its archaeological importance, Amyzon has remained largely untouched by modern scientific excavation. The absence of a permanent…
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Turkish Researchers Bake 3,000-Year-Old Mesopotamian Bread Again
In the ancient landscape of Hasankeyf, researchers in southeastern Turkey have recreated one of humanity’s earliest documented bread recipes: a 3,000-year-old Mesopotamian honey-barley loaf. The project, carried out by faculty at Batman University’s Hasankeyf Vocational School, transformed lines of cuneiform text into a warm, aromatic bread once baked across the Bronze and Iron Age Near…
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The World’s Oldest Architectural Model Now on Display at Diyarbakır Museum
A discovery that sheds light on human history: a 12,000-year-old house model unearthed in Çayönü Hill is now exhibited at the Diyarbakır Museum. Located in Turkey’s southeastern Ergani district of Diyarbakır, the Çayönü archaeological site is one of the earliest known settlements from the Neolithic Period. In recent excavations, archaeologists uncovered what is considered to…