Turkey unveils treasures of ancient past in 2024 digs
The year 2024 has been dubbed the Golden Era of Archaeology. Turkey's groundbreaking discoveries have recently sparked significant interest among archaeological circles worldwide. Excavations conducted throughout the year have revealed traces of life from thousands of years ago.
Turkey is not only a country that attracts an increasing number of tourists each year but is also celebrated for its impressive archaeological discoveries. There was no shortage of these in the past year.
Discoveries in Turkey
The number of archaeological excavations in Turkey in 2023 was 720. In 2024, this increased to 765, and according to plans, by 2026, there will be as many as 800.
Among Turkey's most impressive archaeological discoveries in 2024 are a 4,000-year-old seal found in Kütahya and a bronze Minoan dagger decorated with silver rivets discovered off the coast of Antalya province.
This is what everyone was talking about
Last year, Turkey also boasted the discovery of a Hellenistic head of the statue of the goddess Hygieia and a group of painted sculptures of Scylla in the province of Denizli. The statue's head was over 2,100 years old. Meanwhile, a 7,800-year-old female figurine was found during excavations at the Ulucak Höyük archaeological site in the province of Izmir. The figurine featured a hole symbolising a mouth. Archaeologists believe it depicts a woman who told stories.
Moreover, a food storage facility was uncovered during an excavation in the ruins of Ani, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the province of Kars. It dates back to the Seljuk period (11th-12th century AD). It contains eight large conical vessels, each about 1.5 meters tall and with an opening diameter of about 50 centimeters. Besides these containers, attention is also drawn to a fragment of a bowl with a peacock motif, which, in medieval mythology, is a symbol of paradise.
One can't forget the ancient, monumental head of Zeus in Aydin. It was made from a single block of medium-grained marble from the Aphrodisias region, dated to the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
