29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A center on the Anatolian Mesopotamian trade route; Tavsanli Mound

Excavations at Tavşanlı mound, which is known to be the first settlement in Western Anatolia during the Bronze Age, continue. The latest excavation results show that the Tavşanlı Mound settlement was a center on the trade route established between Anatolia and Mesopotamia.

In the excavations of Tavşanlı Höyük, which hosts findings about the 8,000-year-old history of Kütahya, it was revealed that Western Anatolia was the center of mining and textile trade.

Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Archeology Department academic member Assoc. Dr. Erkan Fidan told Anadolu Agency about the latest data on the mound.

“The first findings indicate that the region was a production and trade center 4,000 years ago. We have a settlement that is very related to both the west and the east. When this is the case, we think that there is a trade-related focal point located in the center of the settlement. We are continuing our research on whether Tavşanlı Höyük may be the missing link of organized trade, especially between Central Anatolia and Mesopotamia, or another trade center in Western Anatolia.”

Photo: Alibey Aydın/AA

Raw material warehouse of Tavşanlı period

Fidan explained that Kütahya is rich in mineral and raw material resources and that they obtained findings showing industrialized mass production in the ancient period.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



“The Kütahya region is very rich in terms of mineral deposits, raw material resources, and underground resources. We know that there are copper and silver deposits. In this sense, we think that Kütahya and Tavşanlı surroundings are also used as raw material sources in this trade network. In the excavations we made here, we have unearthed dozens of tools related to both ceramic, metal, and textile. This shows that this area is crowded in terms of population and the first excavation results tell us that an important production has been made.”

Fidan stated that they found that most of the mound was burned during the excavations.

Traces of the Luwian people may be found

Stating that they will find more findings as the studies progress, Fidan said, “I can say that we have a lot of finds, especially since we came across fire layers. I can say that ceramic products in various forms produced by people and metal works and the tools in their making are very often seen. By means of the tools we found here, we can say that not only people use them in their daily lives, but also industrialized mass production in general,” used the phrases.

Fidan added that traces of the people known as “Luwians”, who was known to have lived in the region during the said period, can be reached in the mound.

Related Articles

Wasabi Isn’t Just For Sushi: It is an Innovative Solution for Preserving Ancient Papyrus

28 February 2024

28 February 2024

A new natural technique for cleaning and preserving priceless ancient Egyptian papyrus that are in danger from bacteria and fungi...

73 intact Wari mummy bundles and Carved Masks Placed On False Heads Discovered In Peru

1 December 2023

1 December 2023

At Pachacámac, an archaeological site southeast of Lima in Peru, archaeologists unearthed bundles of 73 intact mummy bundles, some containing...

In southern Turkey, the remains of a Roman villa whose floor was decorated with geometrically patterned mosaics were unearthed during construction

13 July 2022

13 July 2022

Workers working to lay the foundation of a new building in the Defne district of Hatay, southern Turkey, by accident...

Bronze Age Wedge Tomb Discovered on the Dingle Peninsula maybe Even Older

22 April 2021

22 April 2021

A wedge tomb recently discovered on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland was described by archaeologists as “quite unusual”. Wedge tombs...

Archaeologists uncover ancient mosaic of the living room of brutal Publius Vedius Pollio

13 December 2022

13 December 2022

In the Pausilypon Archaeological Park, archaeologists from the University of Naples’ “L’Orientale” uncovered an ancient mosaic. The park is located...

Ancient Tomb of Korean Hostage Prince Found in China

21 July 2025

21 July 2025

Chinese archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of Kim Young, a hostage prince from the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla, in...

Unusual Iron Age Female Grave Found in Pryssgården, Sweden

3 November 2024

3 November 2024

In an Iron Age cemetery in Sweden, archaeologists found a woman’s grave buried with a small needle and an iron...

Hidden for 5,000 Years: New Rock Paintings Discovered in Finland’s Astuvansalmi Cliff

27 October 2025

27 October 2025

On the rocky shores of Lake Yövesi in Ristiina, Finland, a silent elk gazes into eternity. This iconic figure, painted...

3500-year-old ceramic oven discovered in Turkey’s Tepecik Mound

24 August 2021

24 August 2021

A 3,500-year-old ceramic oven was unearthed in Tepecik Mound in the Çine district of Aydın, in western Turkey. Tepecik Höyük,...

The Gallo-Roman Sanctuary Unearthed in France

30 June 2024

30 June 2024

During a recent archaeological excavation in the old Hôtel Dieu neighborhood of Rennes in north-western France, archaeologists discovered the remains...

300 Year Old “Exceptional” Prosthesis made of Gold and Copper and wool Discovered in Poland

14 April 2024

14 April 2024

Something novel has been discovered by Polish archaeologists working on the excavation of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi...

Archaeologists discover a 4,000-year-old stone board game in Oman

10 January 2022

10 January 2022

The joint Polish-Omani archaeology team has discovered a 4,000-year-old stone board game whilst excavating a Bronze Age and Iron Age...

Mysterious Rods Found in 5,500-year-old Tomb identified to Be Earliest Drinking Straws

19 January 2022

19 January 2022

Russian archaeologists argue that the rods unearthed in an early bronze age tomb in the Caucasus are the oldest known...

Over 70 Archaeological Sites Identified in Canada’s Chilcotin Region, Uncovering Secwépemc Pit Houses Over 4,000 Years Old

29 March 2025

29 March 2025

Recent archaeological findings indicate that the Secwépemc people’s historical presence in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia, Canada, is more...

1,500-year-old feast mosaic found in Turkey

2 February 2022

2 February 2022

A 50-square-meter mosaic depicting an open-air feast dating back 1,500 years ago was unearthed during excavations in the ancient city...