17 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists Reveal First Settlement of Cimmerians in Anatolia

Continuing excavations in Türkiye’s central Kırıkkale province have revealed new findings indicating that Büklükale village was the first settlement of the Cimmerians, an ancient equestrian nomadic people, in Anatolia.

Büklükale excavations are carried out on behalf of the Japanese-Anatolian Archeology Institute, under the direction of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, associate professor Kimiyoshi Matsumura. The excavation works, initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2009, have been ongoing for 14 years at Büklükale, located in the Karakeçili district of Kırıkkale.

Büklükale is thought to be the first settlement of the Cimmerians in Anatolia. The artifacts shed light on the Cimmerians and reveal evidence of warfare within the constructed fortress. Notably, an image of a person on horseback, an animal motif from the Scythian period, and arrowheads believed to date back to the Cimmerian era, which was used in battles, draw attention.

Büklükale is located about 100 kilometers from Ankara, Turkey’s capital city, where the road from Ankara to Kaman passes the Kızılrmak, Turkey’s longest river. Since ancient times, this region has been a major transit junction, and Büklükale has had control over it.

During an interview with Ihlas News Agency (IHA), Kimiyoshi Matsumura said they have determined multiple civilizations in Büklükale.



📣 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!!



Matsumura explained they found a fortress associated with the Cimmerians during the excavation in the region.

Photo: IHA Photo

“On the top layer, we found remnants from the Ottoman period. Below that, we discovered artifacts from the Hellenistic period, the time of Alexander the Great’s arrival. Beneath that, we identified architectural remains. Before that, we found traces of the Lydians. Below that, we found the fortress constructed by the Cimmerians, which is what we were aiming for. And beneath that, we discovered settlements dating back to 2,000 B.C. in the Hittite period. Currently, we have reached that level,” he said.

“Excavations are still ongoing, but, interestingly, we have uncovered nearly seven arrowheads from the fortress. Among them, we found some that were bent. This indicates that there was a battle here, and arrows were shot, resulting in the bending of the arrowheads. This suggests that during that period, most likely during the time of the Cimmerians or the subsequent era, a war took place here,” he elaborated.

Matsumura emphasized the arrival of the Cimmerians in Anatolia was mentioned in the book of Herodotus, known as the “father of history.”

An arrowhead discovered during the excavation works in Kırıkkale under the leadership of a Japanese archaeologist, Türkiye, June 18, 2023. Photo: IHA Photo

“Within this fortress, we found animal motif materials belonging to the Scythians. Additionally, we discovered a small figurine of a person riding a horse, which we believe is likely associated with the Cimmerians. Hopefully, we have identified their first settlement or fortress in Anatolia. In this year’s excavations outside the city walls, we also determined that a significant fortress was constructed. It will be fascinating. There is no information about what they did in Anatolia,” he added.

Matsumura highlighted they will shed light on the historical position of the Cimmerians through future excavation works.

The Cimmerians, a nomadic people, are known from several Assyrian texts calling them Ga-mir or Gi-mir-aa. These peoples, about whom we do not know much, may have lived in southern Ukraine, where the Crimea is, according to some scholars.

Archaeologists have identified them with the Novocerkassk culture on the grass plains between the river Prut and the Lower Don (c.900-c.650 BCE).

Related Articles

Archaeologists in northern Spanish have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Basque language text

15 November 2022

15 November 2022

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Basque language text, on  Irulegi archaeological site, near the Aranguren...

Evidence found of Goose domestication in Neolithic China 7,000 years ago

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

Geese may have been domesticated in what is now China as early as 7,000 years ago, according to a study...

Researchers find evidence of the destruction of the Second Temple at the hands of Roman soldiers

29 July 2023

29 July 2023

Israeli researchers find evidence of the destruction of the Second Temple at the hands of Roman soldiers. The discovery of...

Archaeologists uncover a 1,500-year-old Lost Mayan city in the Yucatan

28 May 2022

28 May 2022

Researchers have presented their findings after discovering the remnants of an ancient Mayan city on a building site in Mexico....

New studies confirm that there was indeed a shipyard at Lothal, the commercial center of the Harappan civilization and world’s oldest port

6 September 2024

6 September 2024

Since the discovery of Harappan sites at Lothal, located about 30 kilometers inland from the coast of the Gulf of...

Torrential Rain Reveal 2500-Year-old Small Bull Statue

19 March 2021

19 March 2021

After heavy rains near the ancient Olympia site, a bronze bull statue of a bull believed to be at least...

Newly Discovered 200,000-Year-Old Rock Carvings in Marbella: Potentially Among Europe’s Oldest Cave Art

14 March 2025

14 March 2025

Marbella has just made an incredible discovery that could change everything we thought we knew about prehistoric Europe. Archaeologists working...

Medieval ‘Testicle Dagger’ Unearthed at Swedish Fortress

19 May 2025

19 May 2025

Archaeologists in Gothenburg, southwestern Sweden, have made a rather striking discovery at the site of the ancient Gullberg Fortress: a...

Gate sanctuary discovered during the excavation of Archanes palace in Crete, belonging to the oldest civilisation in Europe

24 October 2024

24 October 2024

Recent excavations at the Archanes Minoan palace in Crete, belonging to the oldest civilisation in Europe, have revealed an important...

Archaeologists revealed Urartian King Menua second temple in Van excavations

22 December 2022

22 December 2022

The second temple of King Menua as well as a chamber tomb were unearthed during the excavations carried out this...

Petalodus shark teeth found for the first time in China

29 August 2021

29 August 2021

A 290 million-year-old fossil of a shark with petal-shaped teeth has been discovered in China. Seven well-preserved Petalodus teeth were...

Oldest known alphabet unearthed in ancient Syrian city -500 years older than thought

22 November 2024

22 November 2024

Johns Hopkins University researchers uncovered evidence of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history. The writing was etched onto finger-length...

Ancient Roman Chalice Contained Pig Fat Discovered in a 6th-century Anglo-Saxon Tomb in England

11 December 2024

11 December 2024

During excavations in Scremby, Lincolnshire in 2018, archaeologists uncovered an enameled copper alloy chalice in a 6th-century AD female grave....

Researchers have unveiled text concealed beneath an intricate decorative layer of gold leaf on a page of the famous Blue Qur’an

19 November 2024

19 November 2024

Using multispectral imaging techniques, researchers from the Zayed National Museum have uncovered text hidden beneath an intricate layer of gold...

In Turkey’s Gedikkaya Cave, a stone figurine was discovered inside a 16,500-year-old votive pit

17 December 2022

17 December 2022

A stone figurine was discovered in a 16500-year-old votive pit belonging to the Epi-paleolithic period, the transition phase from the...