Syro-Hittite settlement found in central Turkey

One of the main settlements of the Tabal Kingdom, a Syro-Hittite kingdom in Cappadocia, has been found in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir during ongoing excavations. 

An 8th century BCE Neo-Hittite state centre, part of the Kingdom of Tabal in Nevşehir Province, Turkey [Credit: David Morgan/Megalithic Portal]

Nevşehir Governor Abdurrahman Savaş and several other dignitaries joined a trip to the excavation site in the town of Ovaören in the Gülşehir district after the center was discovered. Excavation leader Professor Yücel Şenyurt, who is also head of Gazi University's archaeology department, briefed Savaş and the others on excavations in the area. 

He said excavation efforts that have been in progress at the site since 2007 revealed a settlement that existed from the beginning of Chalcolithic period (circa 5500 B.C.) to the end of the Iron Age (330 B.C.). 

Şenyurt noted they reached layers from the Hittite period by digging down four meters under the surface of the ground. 

“This year, we plan to go down to the deepest layers. I believe the manuscripts we will unearth will be one of the greatest finds of the last 30 years in Ovaören Anatolian archaeology. Thanks to the concentrated excavation work, we have revealed one of the main settlements of the Tabal Kingdom,” added Şenyurt. 

The excavation is being carried out with a team of 25 archaeologists and students and 30 workers and is planned to last until Aug. 15 within the scope of this year's efforts. 

Source: Today's Zaman [July 25, 2012]