Child graves and figurines found in ancient Tenedos

Many child graves have been unearthed during the excavations carried out last year in the necropolis area of the ancient city of Tenedos, located in the Bozcaada district of Çanakkale.

The area is a tourism center visited by nearly 50,000 local and foreign tourists every year.

Excavations have revealed that children who died at an early age were buried with their gifts in jar graves, amphora graves and stone masonry graves.

The excavations in the ancient city of Tenedos were carried out by a team of 12 people under the leadership of Professor Turan Takaoğlu at the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University's Archaeology Department. The 2023 season works were first made in Bozcaada Castle and then in the necropolis area of the ancient city in 2023 season.

New and striking data were obtained especially about child burials in the necropolis excavations. It was seen that a second pithos or jar tomb from the 6th century B.C. was later placed inside a pithos or jar tomb from the 4th century B.C. It was determined that six terracotta figurines and a horse-foot-shaped bronze pin were placed as gifts for the dead in the jar tomb built later. Two of these figurines, which can generally be associated with the cult of Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of festivals, depict two dancers wearing Eastern costumes and Phrygian headgear, one depicts a woman playing the stringed musical instrument lyre, and the remaining three depict standing women.

The placement of statuettes depicting dancers and musicians in a tomb is seen as an archaeological indicator of integrating with God through dancing, reflecting the belief characteristics of the period.

The excavation findings underwent restoration and conservation processes by Çilem Yavşan, a member of the...