Ancient Near East

During archaeological excavations in Van's Tuşba district, a basalt stone statue weighing nearly one ton, dating back to the Urartian period, was uncovered in an area that was subjected to a rescue excavation last year.

Excavations at Ayanis Castle in Türkiye's Eastern Anatolian province of Van have yielded fresh archaeological discoveries, including three bronze shields and a helmet dating back 2,700 years.

The artifacts were uncovered during this year's leg of a 36-year excavation led by Mehmet Işıklı of Atatürk University's Archaeology Department.

Traces of a settlement dating back about 6,000 years have been found during excavations at Değirmenler Mound in the eastern province of Erzurum.

Starting on July 1, the two-month excavation in the area has uncovered settlement layers, human and animal bones, and ceramics, which are being analyzed.

Archaeological excavations at the Tavşanlı Mound in the western province of Kütahya's Tavşanlı district have unearthed a 3,700-year-old cylinder seal in a layer dating back to the end of the Assyrian Trade Colonies period.

The seal that excited the archaeological world is expected to fill an important gap in Anatolia's trade history.

Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gürkan Yazgı has announced a groundbreaking initiative where nearly 2,000 ancient Hittite tablets, housing millennia-old historical records, are being deciphered by artificial intelligence.

The endeavor marks the world's first attempt at leveraging AI to unravel the mysteries concealed within the ancient artifacts.

Almost 65 years since the first archaeological excavations in Abu Dhabi, new findings highlight the emirate's role in regional and global trade, and the resilience and innovation of regional Bronze Age societies.

 A dig in northern Iraq has unearthed a 2,700-year-old alabaster sculpture of the winged Assyrian deity Lamassu, which was found largely intact despite its large dimensions.

Archaeological excavations continue in the ancient city of Satala, the only surviving castle on the eastern border of the Roman Empire and the only Roman Legion castle in Anatolia that can be excavated.

A team of scientists has unearthed a Urartian monumental building complex in the eastern province of Van's Tuşba district, located within the historical castle known as Garibin Tepe.

Mehmet Işıklı, heading the excavation, expressed the team's astonishment at the findings, which included "pitos" (large storage containers) and exceptionally well-preserved mudbrick architecture.

The director of the excavations at the Kültepe Kaniş-Karum Mound in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri has estimated that it would take 5,000 years to unearth all the historical artifacts under the ground.