18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

14th-century inscription found on Turkey’s Giresun Island

On Giresun Island, which is 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) off the Turkish province of Giresun on the Black Sea’s southeastern shore, a 14th-century inscription was discovered.

The island, which has been known by many names such as Aretias, Nesos, Areos, and Khalkeritis throughout history and has traces of life since the ancient ages, is the subject of many legends and mythological narratives. Excavations have been sustained on this beautiful and mysterious island under the supervision of Giresun University Faculty of Fine Arts faculty member associate professor Gazanfer Iltar since 2009.

Iltar’s team has discovered a written artifact on the island for the first time this year with the unveiling of a 14th-century inscription. Iltar said that the inscription is of great importance as it will shed light on the history of the island and the Giresun region.

An aerial view from Giresun Island
An aerial view from Giresun Island. Photo: AA

Noting that the inscription was found on the floor of the tower structure on the island, the academician continued: “The artifact belongs to the period of Alexios III Megas Komnenos, the emperor of Trebizond. The inscription states that the structures and walls on the island were commissioned by the venerable Maria, the wife of Pinkernes Kyriakos, the son of Giresun Governor Roustam. The name of Roustam in the inscription also gives us clues about the strategic marriages between the Turkmen beys in the region and the Komnenos dynasty.”

The inscription was made of terracotta, measures 30 by 50 centimeters (11 inches to 19 inches), and was written with goose feathers.

Explaining that the inscription was translated by an academic from Russia, Iltar said: “The inscription provides us with several pieces of information and perspectives. For example, the title of ‘pinkernes’ means the cupbearer of the emperor of Trebizond. It is actually a high court position in terms of diplomacy, and a pinkernes should be considered one of the closest people to the emperor. Therefore, it is understood that the governor of Giresun at the time was very close to the emperor of Trebizond.”

A photo of the 14th-century inscription found on Giresun Island
A photo of the 14th-century inscription found on Giresun Island. Photo: AA

“The importance of the inscription increases even more as it reveals the relations in the region in the past and it is a unique work written in a regional alphabet of the Empire of Trebizond,” Iltar added that archaeological excavations will continue on the island in 2022 as well.

Giresun Island

Giresun Island is one of the two islands in the Black Sea, with a total area of 38,000 square meters.

The ruins of the city walls surrounding the island, second-century temple ruins, church ruins, chapels, water wells, and many tomb structures believed to have been built in the 12th century reveal the life and historical richness of the island. In order to reveal the historical fiction of Giresun Island, archaeological surveys were carried out for two years in 2009 and 2010 and many findings were made.

Giresun Island stands out as the only island with human settlement in the East Black Sea along with its mythological stories and historical remains.
Giresun Island stands out as the only island with human settlement in the East Black Sea along with its mythological stories and historical remains.

In light of these findings, the archaeological excavations continued in 2011 and 2012 in collaboration with the Giresun Museum and Selçuk University’s archaeology department.

Giresun Island archaeological excavations continued in 2015-2016-2017, and in these excavations, areas where various ceramics, frescoes, mosaics, used as wine cubes, Byzantine period coins, and many skeletons were unearthed.

The island, where “Amazonian” women once lived, is mostly known for mythological stories like how Hercules came to the island to find golden fur.

Related Articles

An important Gallo-Roman worship complex was discovered near Rennes, France

13 June 2022

13 June 2022

An essential Gallo-Roman worship complex was unearthed by Inrap  (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) archaeologists at Chapelle-des-Fougeretz (Ille-et-Vilaine), near...

Ancient Synagogue found in Turkey’s popular tourist center Side

27 December 2021

27 December 2021

A 7th-century ancient synagogue has been found in Side, a resort town on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The synagogue found was...

Italian Versailles being returned to its former glory through

17 May 2023

17 May 2023

The Italian Royal Palace of Caserta, a long-neglected near Naples, is being restored to its former glory through a vast...

Two statuettes of Demeter discovered in Aigai, the ‘city of goats’ of the Aeolians in western Türkiye

20 November 2023

20 November 2023

Two statuettes of Demeter, the Greek goddess of earth and fertility, were discovered in a cistern in the ancient city...

Interesting discovery at Crowland digs, a human poo from the Saxon period or coprolite found

16 August 2021

16 August 2021

Excavations in Abbey Church Field in Crowland, near Peterborough, have also yielded such amazing finds results for archaeologists. The archaeological...

Researcher Says There is Similarity Between Mayan and Shu Cultures

12 April 2021

12 April 2021

The similarities between Mayan civilization and Shu culture draw the attention of researchers. As it is known, the Sanxingdui ruins,...

6th-Century BC Houses and Earthquake Evidence Discovered in Davti Blur, an Urartian Fortress City in Armenia

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

An Armenian-Polish archaeological team has uncovered remnants of 6th-century BC houses, a cremation cemetery, and signs of a significant earthquake...

Delikkemer Aqueduct: A Roman Engineering Wonder Along the Lycian Way

17 May 2025

17 May 2025

Hidden among the lush forests of southwestern Turkey, the Delikkemer Aqueduct stands as a testament to ancient Roman ingenuity. Located...

A Little-Known Civilization in the Americas Built Pyramids as Old as Ancient Egypt

26 June 2022

26 June 2022

Considered the cradle of civilization in the Americas, the Sacred City of Caral-Supe is a 5000-year-old archaeological site, situated on...

Friendly Fire: Lost Battlefield from 1758 Found Near Fort Ligonier

16 July 2025

16 July 2025

A foggy evening in November 1758 nearly cost George Washington his life in a friendly fire skirmish between two groups...

New Study Disproves Roman Massacre at Maiden Castle, Revealing Complex Iron Age Conflicts

30 May 2025

30 May 2025

Bournemouth University Archaeologists Challenge 90-Year-Old Roman Conquest Narrative at Maiden Castle with Fresh Forensic and Radiocarbon Analysis A landmark study...

The Life of the Maya Ambassador Found in El Palmar was not Easy

18 March 2021

18 March 2021

El Palmar is a small plaza compound in Mexico near the borders of Belize and Guatemala. Archaeologists Kenichiro Tsukamoto and...

Archeologists in Peru find a 1,000-year-old adolescent mummy wrapped in bundle

25 April 2023

25 April 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a more than 1,000-year-old mummy on the outskirts of Peru’s capital, Lima. The mummified adolescent was wrapped...

Archaeologists unearth 600,000-year-old evidence of Britain’s early inhabitants

22 June 2022

22 June 2022

New finds have indicated that some of Britain’s earliest people lived in the Canterbury suburbs. According to the research, led...

Centuries-Old Shipwrecks in Costa Rica Identified as Danish Slave Ships

5 May 2025

5 May 2025

Marine archaeologists have definitively identified two long-known shipwrecks off the coast of Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica as the...