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NEWS: 3,000 year old necropolis full of ancient weapons discovered in the Gercüş region of Batman, Turkey
An iron age necropolis has been discovered by archaeologists at Cehennem Deresi Canyon (translating literally as Hell’s Creek Canyon) in the village of Bağözü within the Gercüş district of Batman, Turkey. The find was made by a team of archaeologists from the Hasankeyf Museum while documenting ancient cave paintings. While working on the caves, they happened upon this necropolis containing just under 150 graves. Some were urn graves, some cist graves, and some earthen graves. The finds did not end there as the team also discovered an array of military items interred with the dead. These included spears, swords, daggers, and arrowheads as well as various other tools associated with combat. An Assyrian cylinder seal was also discovered, an incredibly significant find which could provide a valuable primary source for the history of the region.
Archaeologist Metin Agrak stated:
“During the excavations, personal gifts were unearthed from the graves. The Assyrian cylinder seal found is important in determining the spread of the Assyrians. Among these gifts, we found spears, arrowheads, daggers, knives, swords and many war tools.”
He continued:
“We came to this area upon the warning of the villagers. We noticed that there were cubes in a few pits here. Then we expanded the work and now opened the eighth trench. We came across approximately 150 urn graves in these trenches. In this necropolis area, there are urn graves, as well as cist graves and earthen graves. After the dead were cremated, the remaining bones and ashes were placed in cube graves and buried. The restoration work still continues. Their date will be revealed after the bones are examined in the laboratory. This place was a very important discovery for the region and its archeology.”
The finds are being worked on at Hasankeyf Museum where they will be displayed once the work is complete.
20/10/2023