3,500-year-old house unearthed in central Turkey
The remains of a house dating back 3,500 years have been uncovered during excavations in the central Anatolian province of Kırıkkale's Karakeçili district.
Headed by Kimiyashi Matsumura, a Japanese archaeology professor at Kırşehir University, the excavations have been unearthing antiquities and ancient settlements since 2009. The area has been declared a protected site, and the police and gendarmerie provide security. Kırıkkale officials are planning to turn the site into an open museum after the digs are finished.
Stone houses were discovered during the excavations. Matsumura told reporters this week that the ancient settlements at the site date back to the Hittite civilization. “This is part of one of their big cities. Kızılırmak [River] passes by it. All kinds of commercial routes were built around Kızılırmak at the time. This city was established along a very important commercial route. I believe this research will culminate in important results,” the archaeologist said.
Kırıkkale Governor Ali Kolat and the city's police chief, Kadri Kartal, visited the archaeological site this week with their wives. Kolat ordered a group of officials accompanying him, including Karakeçili Governor Mesut Gazi Ambarcı and Mayor Salih Avan, to clean rocks near the site that have colorful writing on them.
Kolat vowed to protect the ancient structures. Noting that Karakeçili is the site of much ancient history, Kolat added: “We also have Çeşnigir Bridge here. The Çeşnigir Bridge is from Seljuk times. If we unearth more ancient artifacts, our city can make a name for itself in terms of tourism. These [archaeological] works require labor and time.”
Source: Todays Zaman [June 14, 2013]
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| Japanese archaeologist Kimiyashi Matsumura explains the recent finds to Turkish officials [Credit: HaberMonitor] |
Stone houses were discovered during the excavations. Matsumura told reporters this week that the ancient settlements at the site date back to the Hittite civilization. “This is part of one of their big cities. Kızılırmak [River] passes by it. All kinds of commercial routes were built around Kızılırmak at the time. This city was established along a very important commercial route. I believe this research will culminate in important results,” the archaeologist said.
Kırıkkale Governor Ali Kolat and the city's police chief, Kadri Kartal, visited the archaeological site this week with their wives. Kolat ordered a group of officials accompanying him, including Karakeçili Governor Mesut Gazi Ambarcı and Mayor Salih Avan, to clean rocks near the site that have colorful writing on them.
Kolat vowed to protect the ancient structures. Noting that Karakeçili is the site of much ancient history, Kolat added: “We also have Çeşnigir Bridge here. The Çeşnigir Bridge is from Seljuk times. If we unearth more ancient artifacts, our city can make a name for itself in terms of tourism. These [archaeological] works require labor and time.”
Source: Todays Zaman [June 14, 2013]
