Traces of previously unknown kingdom at Büyük Höyük

A new finding was uncovered at the Büyük Höyük excavations which have been ongoing for eight years. A second monumental gate was found, suggesting the existence of a local kingdom which reigned over the region for a while.

A new discovery was uncovered at the Büyük Höyük excavations which have been ongoing for eight years. A second monumental gate was found suggesting the existence of a local kingdom that has reigned in the region for a while.

The second monumental gate was discovered 200 meters from the first, at the settlement and is surrounded by an advanced defense system with a chain of room or casemates. This new discovery sparked elation in the excavation team at Büyük Höyük, located in the village of Hacılar.

Istanbul University Archaeology Department Lecturer and Excavation Team Head Prof. Dr. Gülsün Umurtak said they had stumbled upon a 350-meter long defense system just as they begun to dig into the ground.

Stating that the casemate system was a unique construction, Umurtak said that they have found almost 40 casemates throughout close to 8 years of excavation work.

Umurtak also said they repaired every structure with natural material and that this year's work had allowed them to collect information about defense systems.

"The newly found gate's size is monumental. It has a 20-meter long gateway, a 5-meter wide gate and two huge casemates on both sides. We have uncovered a very impressive corner of this ancient town".

The vegetation remnants from the excavation site where agriculture and husbandry were advanced as well, suggest the environment was highly diverse. Umurtak said "We are in a region with rich water resources. There is an advanced pottery repertoire. When we look at all of this architecture and findings combined, we can say this was the center of a local kingdom."