18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists discover Stargazer idol fragment in Turkey’s In the ancient city of Beçin

During archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Beçin in the Milas district of southern Turkey’s Muğla, the head of a historical idol, considered one of the rarest instances of its kind, was discovered.

Excavations are carried out regularly in the ancient city of Beçin, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012.

Professor Kadir Pektaş, the head of the excavation team in the ancient city and a lecturer at Istanbul Medeniyet University’s faculty of arts, expressed his excitement at the discoveries made in Beçin.

Pektaş stated that during the thorough excavations conducted out in the old city that also served as a fortress this year, a really rare relic was uncovered.

“Very beautiful ceramics and small finds were uncovered in the works we carried out in the inner castle. One of them has been the headpiece of the Kiliya-type idol known as the ‘Stargazer’ or ‘Starwarrior,’” Pektaş said.

Stargazer idol found in Mugla
Photo: AA

Elaborating on the details of the head of the marble female idol, Pektaş said: “It is a sample that dates back to 3,000 or 3,500 B.C. and is very rarely found in excavations. There are only 30 samples of the figurine – believed to have been used for prayers and worship – known in the world,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA).

“The ‘Stargazer’ idol is found in the Aegean Islands and Western Anatolia. (This sample) is valuable because it is the first one unearthed in the (Beçin) ancient city and in the region. We know that none were found in excavations conducted near this site.

“In this respect, it gives us an important clue about the early periods of this region.”

the ancient city of Beçin
The ancient city of Beçin.

The marble statue is called “stargazer” -a colloquial title-because the big headrests on the slender neck, giving people a whimsical feeling, like looking up at the sky.

There are only about 15 complete idols around the world, though more fragments, particularly heads, have survived.

Most of the complete figurines found were broken at the neck, suggesting that the sculptures were ritually “killed” at the time of burial.

“It is thought that it was used for religious purposes, but it is not an issue that can be known certainly. It is not clear whether the head and the body parts were separated and buried separately during worship, or that happened for another purpose but it is believed to have been created for prayer and worship purposes,” Pektaş said.

Related Articles

Millennia-Old İron Production Facilities Found in Iran

2 May 2021

2 May 2021

Archaeologists have uncovered many millennia-old iron manufacturing sites in a historical village in southcentral Iran. A local tourism official declared...

The Jinn of Girnavaz Mound

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

Girnavaz mound is in the north of Nusaybin district of Mardin province and Nusaybin 4 km is away. It is...

Iron Lady of The Bronze Age “Puduhepa”

5 May 2021

5 May 2021

Puduhepa is the daughter of a priest and at the same time a priestess who served for the goddess Ishtar. ...

Spectacular gold find from early medieval tombs in Basel

28 November 2022

28 November 2022

An excavation in Basel’s Kleinbasel neighborhood, Switzerland, has uncovered 15 graves, some richly furnished, from an early medieval burial ground....

The Headless Corpses of Somersham was Victims of Roman Executions

30 May 2021

30 May 2021

Excavations at Knobb’s Farm in Somersham, Cambridgeshire, unearthed three small late Roman graves on the outskirts of an agricultural village....

Rare 2,800-year-old Assyrian Scarab Seal-Amulet Found in Tabor Nature Reserve

12 February 2024

12 February 2024

A hiker in northern Israel found a rare scarab seal-amulet from the First Temple period on the ground in the...

A 2000-year-old Rare Artifact was Found Near Poltava

25 May 2021

25 May 2021

Scarab beetle pendant found near the Ukrainian city of Poltava. During the building of the H-31 motorway in the Poltava...

Scientists Create a 3D Model of Lost Temple Relief from a 134-Year-Old Photo Using AI

13 November 2024

13 November 2024

The researchers developed a neural network that can take a single 2D photo of a three-dimensional object and produce a...

Early Imperial cemetery in Nîmes, in the south of France

4 October 2022

4 October 2022

Inrap archaeologists excavating at Nîmes in southern France have uncovered a cemetery dating to the first to second centuries AD...

Excavations at Sheffield Castle Reveal the First Surviving Examples of 17th-Century Civil War Abatis

9 March 2025

9 March 2025

Excavations at Sheffield Castle, part of the Castlegate regeneration project by Sheffield City Council, have revealed the first known surviving...

The Worst Torture Device in History “Brazen Bull”

2 February 2021

2 February 2021

Agrigentum Tyranny today is in the provincial borders of Agrigento in the Sicily Autonomous Region in the southwest of Sicily....

Perre Ancient City Set to Revive Its 1,800-Year-Old Grape Mill

26 January 2025

26 January 2025

In Perre, one of the five major cities of the Kingdom of Commagene, ancient production methods will meet today’s technology....

Rare Gold Coin from Reign of Byzantine Emperor Justin II Unearthed at Tuida Fortress in Sliven, Bulgaria

25 June 2025

25 June 2025

A rare gold coin dating back to the reign of Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor Justin II (r. 565–578 CE) has...

A 1,600-year-old church has been discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Priene

19 October 2021

19 October 2021

A 1,600-year-old historical church was unearthed during the excavations in the Ancient City of Priene, located in the western province...

‘Incredibly Rare’ Roman Mausoleum Unearthed Near London Bridge Station

13 June 2023

13 June 2023

Archaeologists report discovering an “incredibly rare” and featured preserved floors and walls Roman mausoleum near London Bridge Station, UK. Archaeologists...