19 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

An Urartian female executive grave was found at the Çavuştepe Mound

The grave of an Urartian, who was buried with his horse, cattle, and dog, had been found recently. Today, another interesting tomb was unearthed in the Çavuştepe Mound necropolis at the same place.

Excavations are being carried out in the area of Çavuştepe castle and the necropolis to its north, under the direction of Professor Rafet Çavuşoğlu, head of the Archeology Department of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ).

When the team led by Professor Rafet Çavuşoğlu removed the tomb of the manager, who was buried with his horse, cattle, and dog, they reached the tomb of an Urartian woman underneath.

Çavuştepe castle
Çavuştepe Mound

The woman had no head

It was seen that the woman, who was buried with her jewelry, did not have a head. Noting that this situation is the result of his religious belief or a ritual, the excavation head Rafet Çavuşoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA).

“We guess that the head of the woman who owns the tomb may have been placed in a more sacred place. We also found two official seals on the skeleton.”

When the team led by Professor Rafet Çavuşoğlu removed the tomb of the manager, who was buried with his horse, cattle, and dog, they reached the tomb of an Urartian woman underneath.

“There were two seals in the jewelry that are very important to us. One of these seals is made of bronze and the other is made of alabaster. In ancient times, rulers and merchants could carry seals. It is very important that there are two seals on the woman here. The tree of life and various figures are engraved on one of them. The other one is arranged in the form of a lion and there is a stamp at the bottom.”

Urartian female manager
The tomb of the Urartian female executive attracts attention with its rich tomb gifts. Among the grave gifts are two seals.

“We determined that the skeleton belonged to a woman between the ages of 40-50. The necklace has the classical features of the Urartians. In addition, we are faced with magnificent jewelry made of metal, bronze, and silver beads, agate, coralline, pyrite stones, seashell, and glass. The ornamental pins with three animal ornamental heads are quite well preserved. There is a pendulum earring that is beautifully crafted bronze. Very valuable jewelry for that period. It was found not in order but stacked on top of each other. Jewelry with seashells can only be found in the Mediterranean. It must have arrived by trade or by special order. This shows that this person is a very important person. Çavuştepe necropolis has always surprised and continues to surprise us,” he said.

Related Articles

8,000-year-old Yarmukian ‘Mother Goddess’ figurine discovered in Israel

9 July 2022

9 July 2022

An 8,000-year-old Yarmukian Mother Goddess figurine was found at Sha’ar HaGolan archaeological site, located on the northern bank of the...

From Ancient Scripts to Digital Insights: TLHdig 0.2 Breathes New Life into Hittite Cuneiform Tablets

27 March 2025

27 March 2025

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Boğazköy-Hattuša, once the capital of the Hittite Empire during the late Bronze Age (circa...

Archaeologists have discovered 85 ancient tombs, a watchtower, and a temple site in Egypt’s Gabal al-Haridi region

5 May 2022

5 May 2022

The Egyptian archaeological mission discovered 85 tombs, a watchtower, and a temple site in the Gabal al-Haridi area of Sohag,...

Stone Age Architectural Marvel Unveiled Deep in the Baltic Sea: It may be one of the largest known Stone Age structures in Europe

13 February 2024

13 February 2024

Hiding deep beneath the Baltic Sea, an architectural wonder of the Stone Age has been discovered by researchers. This megastructure,...

Elite Roman man buried with a silver crossbow brooch, first of its kind found in Wales

15 July 2023

15 July 2023

Archaeologists in Wales have made an intriguing discovery near a Roman villa. They have discovered the skeleton of a man...

Stunning carved stone depicting a mystery naked horseman is discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda

30 June 2021

30 June 2021

Near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, archaeologists discovered a carved sandstone slab portraying a naked horseman. During the annual excavations...

Spectacular Roman Mosaics Unearthed in Thalheim bei Wels: A Unique Discovery in Upper Austria

10 June 2025

10 June 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Salzburg uncovered three exceptionally preserved Roman mosaics during excavations A remarkable archaeological discovery has captivated...

New mosaics unearthed in “Zeugma of the Black Sea”

3 October 2022

3 October 2022

New mosaics with various figures were unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, which is called...

The impressive Statue of young Hercules unearthed in Philippi, Northern Greece

24 September 2022

24 September 2022

A larger-than-life youthful Hercules statue dating to the 2nd century A.D. have been found in the ancient city of Philippi...

Severe drought in Italy unearths remains of an ancient bridge in Rome

15 July 2022

15 July 2022

Continued severe heat in Italy has uncovered an archaeological treasure in Rome: a bridge reportedly built by the Roman emperor...

Orkney dig reveals ruins of huge Neolithic tomb

21 October 2023

21 October 2023 1

A 5,000-year-old tomb was unearthed in Orkney, north-east Scotland. The discovery was announced by the Guardian, describing the tomb structure...

Fragments of ‘unique’ 17th-century iconostasis discovered in Polish church

28 October 2023

28 October 2023

Researchers from the Institute of Art at the Polish Academy of Sciences (IS PAN) have discovered substantial fragments of a...

Archaeologists discovered the first evidence of early administrative management in eastern Iran

21 June 2022

21 June 2022

Iranian archaeologists believe they have discovered the first evidence of early administrative management in an eastern Iranian province, which they...

Itbaraks in Turkic Mythology: The Human-Bodied, Dog-Headed Beings Who Defied Oghuz Khagan

5 July 2025

5 July 2025

In the mist-shrouded realms of ancient Turkic epics, there exists a race that haunts both myth and memory—the İtbaraks. These...

According to new research, medieval warhorses were shockingly diminutive in height

12 January 2022

12 January 2022

Medieval warhorses are often depicted as massive and powerful beasts, but in reality, many were no more than pony-sized by...