Possibly the most amazing archaeological discovery announced in November 2021 from the area of Turkey was the discovery of seven skeletons during the excavations carried out in the area of the Bukoleon Palace. The researchers suggested that these may be the remains of the victims of the massacre carried out by the Crusaders in Constantinople. Moreover, the prehistoric past of Asia Minor was the hot topic, for instance an architectural structure thought to be 7-8 thousand years old was found in Domuztepe Mound while a 4,500-year-old structure containing a jar, many pots, and food fossils has been unearthed at the Yumuktepe Höyük. Also, in the 5000-year-old Panaztepe settlement located in the Menemen district of Izmir, structures thought to belong to the oldest period of the city were found. Finally, a study of pieces of woven fabric discovered in the Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük revealed that the textiles, dated to between 8,500 and 8,700 years old, were made of bast fibres from oak trees.
Turkish Archaeological News collects the most important, interesting and inspiring news from Turkish excavation sites. Here's the review for November 2021. Have we missed anything? Let us know by using Contact tab!
November 1, 2021
During the excavations in Domuztepe mound, it was revealed that an architectural structure thought to be 7-8 thousand years old had more than one storey and a balcony. Source: Arkeonews
800-year-old mosque sees restoration after earthquake damage
An earthquake of 6.8 magnitude shook the ground on Jan. 24, 2020, in Malatya, damaging Battalgazi Great Mosque and consequently leading to its closure to worship. The 800-year-old mosque is now amid restoration and strengthening efforts are underway for its reopening to the public. Source: Daily Sabah
November 2, 2021
Perinthos finds to shed light on ancient cuisine
Ceramics, spoon pieces, cooking utensils and animal bones, which are believed to be 5,000 years old, have been unearthed during the excavations carried out in the ancient city of Perinthos in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ’s Marmaraereğlisi district. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 3, 2021
A 4,500-year-old structure containing a jar, many pots, and food fossils has been unearthed at the Yumuktepe Höyük (tumulus) in Turkey’s southern coastal city of Mersin. Yumuktepe stands out as one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia with its history dating back to 7,000 B.C. It has hosted many civilizations to date which has given it the name “Cradle of Civilizations.” Source: Arkeonews
‘Healing bowls’ shed light on Turkish medical folklore
Healing bowls, which were used for centuries in the search for healing in Anatolian folk medicine before the development of modern medicine and combine the health benefits and relaxing properties of water with prayer, shed light on Turkish medical folklore as rare items. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 4, 2021
In the backstage of Smyrna Ancient Theater Latrina found
During the excavation of the theater of the Ancient City of Smyrna, located near the Kadifekakale district of Izmir, a latrina (toilet) was found inside the backstage. Source: Arkeonews
Layers of Yumuktepe Mound to be open to visitors
The Yumuktepe Mound in the southern province of Mersin, one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia dating back to 7,000 B.C., will offer its visitors the chance to discover the remains of many layers in an open-air museum that will be created as part of an archeopark project. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 5, 2021
During this year’s excavations in the ancient city of Hierapolis-Pamukkale in Turkey’s Aegean province Denizli, the remains of two houses thought to belong to the founding years of the ancient city were unearthed. Source: Arkeonews
November 6, 2021
Iconic monastery closed for renovation once again
The Sümela Monastery, the country’s one of the most important religious tourism centers, has been closed once again due to the risk of falling rocks from the nearby hill during an ongoing renovation process. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 8, 2021
Structures in Turkey’s Panaztepe pointing out a 5,000-year-old settlement found
In the 5000-year-old Panaztepe settlement located in the Menemen district of Izmir, structures thought to belong to the oldest period of the city were found. Source: Arkeonews
Istanbul inn with iconic architecture seeks restoration
Vlora Han, an inn that highlights Western influences that crept into Istanbul at a time when the Ottoman palace was enthralled with the Art Nouveau styles spreading throughout European cultures, has been expecting restoration since it has been in a state of ruin due to neglect. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Nearly 30 children's graves discovered at Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery
The restoration of the tombstones at Ahlat Seljuk Meydan Cemetery in eastern Bitlis province – the world's largest Turkish-Islamic cemetery on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List – is underway. Source: Daily Sabah
November 9, 2021
Kaymaklı Underground City presents mystic journey
Tourists visiting the Cappadocia region have a different experience in the Kaymaklı Underground City, which is 20 kilometers from the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir, and go on a journey through time in tunnels of thousands of years. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
The place of Puduhepa’s hometown Lawazantiya will be illuminated with Tatarlı Höyük
Excavations at Tatarlı Höyük (mound) are trying to reach findings that will enable the determination of the location of Lawazantiya, where Puduhepa, wife of Hattusili III, one of the powerful kings of the Hittite Empire, was born and raised. Source: Arkeonews
Atatürk Mansion in Turkey’s northeast to be restored once more
The exterior plaster of the Atatürk Mansion in the northeastern province of Trabzon has been cracked, the paint on the walls swelled, and the marbles darkened despite extensive restoration conducted seven years ago. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
In southern Turkey, an ancient quake-damaged structure was discovered
In the ancient city of Perre in southeastern Turkey, a building damaged in an earthquake believed to have happened in the 6th and 7th centuries AD was unearthed. Source: Arkeonews
Rock-carved churches, chapels: Cappadocia’s spectacular landscape
The rock-carved churches, monasteries and chapels in Göreme Open Air Museum attract tourists with their historical texture and frescoes that have survived centuries in Cappadocia, a well-known tourist destination in central Turkey. Source: Daily Sabah
November 10, 2021
Iron Age structures unearthed at Tatarlı Mound
In excavations at Tatarlı Höyük, which served as an uninterrupted settlement in the southern province of Adana from the Neolithic Age to the Early Roman period, an area used for the storage of food in the Middle Iron Age has been unearthed. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Rare copy of French Bible in Turkey's Sivas draws global interest
A treat for history enthusiasts, a French translation of the Holy Gospels by the renowned bishop and theologian Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, only published in 50 copies, becomes the centerpiece of Ziya Bey Library of Manuscripts in eastern Turkey's Sivas. Source: Daily Sabah
Neolithic Cloth from Çatalhöyük Analyzed
According to a statement released by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), archaeologists Lise Bender Jørgensen of NTNU, Antoinette Rast-Eicher of the University of Bern, and Sabine Karg of the Free University of Berlin analyzed pieces of woven fabric recovered from southern Anatolia’s Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük. It had long been thought that the people of Çatalhöyük wore wool and imported linen, since no evidence of the production of flax in the region has ever been found. But the new study shows that the textiles, dated to between 8,500 and 8,700 years old, were made of bast fibers from oak trees. Source: Archaeology.org
November 11, 2021
Earthquake-hit structure found in Perre
A structure destroyed in an earthquake estimated to have occurred in the 6th and 7th century A.D. has been unearthed in the ancient city of Perre in the southeastern province of Adıyaman. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Farmers in NE China initial speakers of Japanese, Korean, Turkish languages: Study
The origins of a family of languages including modern Japanese, Korean, Turkish and Mongolian date back some 9,000 years to millet farmers that inhabited northeastern China, a study found after evaluating linguistic, genetic and archaeological evidence. Source: Daily Sabah
November 13, 2021
Excavations in Beşiktaş shedding more light on Istanbul’s ancient past
Ongoing excavations in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district are offering surprising and significant clues about the history of the ancient city, with one archeologist boasting the district as “Istanbul’s Göbeklitepe.” Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Bone workshop and oil lamp shop unearthed in Aizanoi ancient city in western Turkey
Archaeologists have unearthed a bone workshop and an oil lamp shop in an Aizanoi ancient city in the Çavdarhisar district of Kütahya in western Turkey. Source: Arkeonews
November 14, 2021
Ancient shops unearthed in Aizanoi
A bone workshop and an oil lamp shop have been unearthed in the ancient city of Aizanoi, located in the western province of Kütahya. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 16, 2021
Photogrammetric map of Iasos made
The ancient city of Iasos, a port city founded by the Argosians in the western province of Muğla’s Milas district, impresses visitors as it resembles an open-air museum with its great walls, aqueducts, agora, theater, Roman-era tombstones and fishermen’s market. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Unique 2700-year-old mosaics unearthed in illegal excavations
Two 2700-year-old mosaics, which are thought to belong to a Roman rich man and symbolize magnificence, were found in a house-shaped compartment 10 meters below the ground in the Konak district of Izmir. Source: Arkeonews
November 17, 2021
Painstaking, risky work underway to protect Sümela Monastery
Experts, including professional industrial climbers, are conducting a difficult and painstaking work in a new round of renovation at the Sümela Monastery in the Black Sea province of Trabzon. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 18, 2021
CerModern presents Turkey’s underwater richness
A new exhibition at CerModern, featuring photographs revealing the underwater richness of Turkey, will take visitors to the magical world of underwater with its light, sound effects and video presentations. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 19, 2021
World of Piri Reis returns to exhibition at Istanbul's Topkapı Palace
The famous 16th-century world map drawn by Ottoman admiral Piri Reis returned to exhibition at Istanbul's Topkapı Palace on Thursday after a long hiatus, much to the joy of visitors who are lucky enough to come across with the masterpiece. Source: Daily Sabah
A 3250-year-old seal of the Hittite prince and a 3400-year-old cuneiform tablet was found in Accana Höyük (Mound) in the Reyhanlı district of Hatay in southern Turkey. Source: Arkeonews
November 20, 2021
Castle restoration in Turkey’s heartland sheds light on history
The restoration of the Sivas Castle in Turkey’s Central Anatolia region has received a shot in the arm thanks to the initiation of a work to unearth the inner castle defense walls. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Zeus Temple partially unearthed in western Turkey
Two-thirds of the Temple of Zeus, whose original state’s copy is exhibited in the Berlin Pergamon Museum, have been unearthed during excavations in the ancient city of Magnesia, located in the Germencik district of the western province of Aydın. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 21, 2021
Excavations continue in ancient Magnesia
Excavations in the ancient city of Magnesia in Aydın province's Ortaklar neighborhood are ongoing. Magnesia, known as the “city of incidents” since it has witnessed many important events throughout history, is best known for its temple dedicated to Artemis, the fourth biggest temple in Anatolia, and Zeus temples from the 3rd century BCE. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 22, 2021
University from 1339 in Turkey to welcome new generation
Built by the Beylik of Karaman in 1339 in today's Ermenek district of Karaman, the Tol Madrassa where astronomy and science were once taught will enlighten a new generation once its restoration is complete. Source: Daily Sabah
November 23, 2021
An iron face mask used by a skilled member of the Roman cavalry 1,800 years ago has been discovered in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in northern central Turkey. Source: Arkeonews
First madrasah structure unearthed in Harran
The remains of a 12th-century madrasah have been unearthed in the Harran ruins, which is one of the oldest settlements in the world and on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
1,500-year-old bakery structure found in Turkey’s Perre
In the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Perre, located in the southeastern province of Adıyaman, archaeologists found a 1500-year-old bakery structure on Monday. Source: Daily Sabah
November 24, 2021
14,000-year-old stone tools, bone remains found in western Turkey
During the rescue excavations carried out in a cave in the Dikili district of western Izmir province, 14,000-year-old stone tools and bone remains were discovered. The findings belong to the Upper Paleolithic Age (Epipalaeolithic). Source: Daily Sabah
Japanese team to excavate 12,000-year-old sites in Turkey
A Japanese research team will join an excavation project in Turkey of what are believed to be the world’s oldest structures of worship that have raised new questions about the rise of civilization. Radiocarbon dating indicates that construction of the structures at the archeological sites of Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe began 12,000 years ago, making them 7,000 years older than the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Source: The Asahi Shimbun
Oldest tree in Istanbul 1,300-years-old
The oldest tree in Istanbul is a 1,300-year-old oriental plane that is under protection in a forest in the Sarıyer district, an academic has said. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 25, 2021
Turkey's archaeological underwater excavations unearth 255 artefacts this year alone
The ongoing excavations and research works in the seas of Turkey, where the world's first scientific archaeological underwater excavations were carried out, have unearthed 255 artefacts this year alone. Source: Middle East Monitor
November 26, 2021
Studies reveal eating habits of Pergamon people
Skeletons examined by Turkish and German scientists in the ancient city of Bergama revealed that people living in the region 2,000 years ago mainly ate carbohydrates and plants, while the wealthy consumed more meat. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
14,000-year-old settlement discovered in western Turkey
During the rescue excavation carried out in a cave in Dikili, İzmir, in western Turkey, 14 thousand-year-old stone tools and bone remains belonging to the Late Paleolithic Age were found. Source: Arkeonews
November 29, 2021
It is thought that the 7 skeletons found in the Bukoleon Palace excavations may be the victims of the massacre carried out by the Crusaders in Constantinople. Source: Arkeonews
Ancient Anatolian sheep shed light on history of domestication
Sheep bones discovered during archaeological excavations at six different sites across Anatolia have shed light on the domestication of sheep thanks to the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis in a new study led by the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) and Hacettepe University. Source: Daily Sabah
November 30, 2021
Pera Museum exhibitions focus on Byzantine
Pera Museum and the Istanbul Research Institute are presenting two exhibitions simultaneously with the sole focus on Byzantine. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Remains of first Islamic madrassa found in Turkey’s Harran
The remnants of a 12th-century madrassa (Islamic institution of higher instruction) have been discovered in the archaeological site of Harran, located in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa. Source: Arkeonews
