11 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists Uncover 4,800-Year-Old Bronze Age Tombs in Başur Höyük, Türkiye, Where Teenage Girls Were Ritually Sacrificed

As the first civilizations began to emerge in Mesopotamia and Anatolia, significant transformations in social structure, economy, and culture took place. Among the most revealing archaeological sites shedding light on this period is Başur Höyük, an ancient royal cemetery located in eastern Türkiye. Recent studies indicate that this site offers crucial insights into the origins of inequality during the Bronze Age, situated at the margins of the Mesopotamian world.

Başur Höyük, located in the Siirt province of modern-day Türkiye, has been identified as a significant settlement during the third millennium BCE. Excavations have uncovered monumental tombs belonging to the local elite, which contain exceptional burial goods such as weapons, prestige objects, and offerings. These findings suggest a clear social differentiation among the region’s inhabitants, indicating that Başur Höyük was a center of local power with strong connections to the major cities of Mesopotamia.

Recent archaeological studies are challenging long-held beliefs about the origins of kingship in Mesopotamia, particularly through findings from Başur Höyük. Excavations in this region have revealed evidence suggesting that kingship and warrior aristocracies may have emerged much earlier than previously thought, outside of urban centers.

Notably, at Arslantepe on the Malatya Plain of eastern Türkiye, a palace complex dating to around 3300 BC is documented from a non-urban setting, located far from the nearest centers of urban growth in lowland Mesopotamia, where evidence for secular rulership is either negligible or ambiguous at that time. This finding aligns with recent research indicating that palatial structures may have existed earlier than previously thought, challenging the traditional view that such buildings only appeared after the rise of cities. Additionally, the site has yielded what is identified as the earliest known “royal tomb,” containing a significant amount of metal weaponry and ornamentation. Surrounding this main burial are subsidiary graves interpreted as ritual sacrifice victims, further emphasizing the complexity of social hierarchies in early societies.

Credit: Başur Höyük Research Project/Cambridge Archaeological Journal 2025

One of the most striking discoveries at the site is evidence of human sacrifices, a practice also documented in other ancient civilizations. Archaeologists have found remains of multiple individuals buried alongside rulers, symbolizing a ritual transition to the afterlife and the maintenance of social order even in death. Such sacrificial practices were common in hierarchical societies, where leaders utilized these rituals to demonstrate power and reinforce loyalty among their subjects. Bioarchaeological analyses reveal that the victims were often deliberately selected, predominantly teenage girls, highlighting the stark inequalities present in these early societies.

The burial goods found at Başur Höyük further illustrate the growing inequality in the region during the Bronze Age. Elite tombs contained bronze daggers, spearheads, cylinder seals, and intricate gold and silver jewelry, signifying privileged access to valuable resources and advanced technologies. These elements support the hypothesis that social inequality did not arise spontaneously but was the result of a gradual process driven by the consolidation of power, resource control, and the institutionalization of class differences.

A selection of metallic, copper-base grave goods from Başur Höyük. Credit: D. Wengrow et al.

The analysis of this royal cemetery enhances our understanding of how human societies transitioned from egalitarian systems to highly stratified structures. Positioned between the Mesopotamian cities and the tribal populations of Anatolia, Başur Höyük played a crucial role in the diffusion of ideas, technologies, and power dynamics. Researchers argue that early state formation in Mesopotamia cannot simply be characterized as a combination of cities, bureaucracy, and dynastic elites. Instead, radical forms of inequality may have originated in small-scale communities before influencing broader political relations.

As new findings continue to emerge from Başur Höyük, they promise to reshape our understanding of the complexities of early social hierarchies and the processes that led to the establishment of inequality in ancient societies.

Wengrow, D., Hassett, B., Sağlamtimur, H., Marsh, W., Brace, S., Pilaar Birch, S. E., … Barnes, I. (2025). Inequality at the Dawn of the Bronze Age: The Case of Başur Höyük, a ‘Royal’ Cemetery at the Margins of the Mesopotamian World. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 1–12. doi:10.1017/S0959774324000398

Cover Image Credit: Başur Höyük Research Project/Cambridge Archaeological Journal 2025

Related Articles

‘Exceptional’ Viking Age silver treasure found in Norway

27 October 2022

27 October 2022

A treasure trove of silver fragments from the Viking Age has been discovered in Stjørdal, near Trondheim in central Norway....

Archaeologists 3D map Red Lily Lagoon, the hidden Northern Territory landscape where first Australians lived more than 60,000 years ago

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

Archaeologists map Red Lily Lagoon, a hidden landscape in the Northern Territory where the first Australians lived more than 60,000...

3D printing technology was used for the restored relic restoration of an ancient palace in Liangzhu Archaeological Site

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Six rebuilt massive wooden pillars of an old palace have been exposed to the public for the first time at...

The human remains dating back 10,000 years unearthed in Vietnam

15 November 2023

15 November 2023

In Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, skeletal remains dating back 10,000 years have been discovered. This is marking the oldest...

Unique Ancient Bronze Miniature Portrait Of Alexander The Great Found In Ringsted On The Island Of Zealand, Denmark

12 April 2024

12 April 2024

Two amateur archaeologists have made a unique find near Ringsted in the Danish island of Zealand. A sign that one...

A 2,000-year-old monumental Roman villa Found Under a Seaside May Be Pliny the Elder’s house

23 January 2024

23 January 2024

Researchers have discovered the remnants of a massive Roman villa thought to have ties to Pliny the Elder while working...

The largest embalming cache ever found in Egypt unearthed at Abusir

10 February 2022

10 February 2022

Archaeologists from the Czech Institute for Egyptian Science have discovered a cache of artifacts related to the practice of Egyptian...

Saxon ‘London’ was Bigger Than Previously Believed

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

Archaeologists digging at the northern end of Trafalgar Square found evidence that Saxon London’s center was bigger and extended further...

The Entire Genome Of 35,000-Year-Old Skull From Romania Sequenced “Peştera Muierii 1”

24 May 2021

24 May 2021

Researchers have successfully sequenced the whole genome from the skull of Peştera Muierii 1, women who lived in today’s Romania...

Venice of the Pacific: The mysterious Micronesian ruins of Nan Madol

12 July 2022

12 July 2022

Sometimes art and architecture challenge our perceptions of what was formerly thought to be feasible and what our forefathers were...

Largest ever Roman silver hoard in Germany found in Augsburg

12 November 2021

12 November 2021

Archaeologists in Augsburg, Germany, revealed unearthed a historical hoard including 15 kg of silver coins from the Roman Empire’s era....

A 2,000-Year-Old Shoe Discovered in a German Bog

22 June 2021

22 June 2021

Archaeologists discovered a leather shoe that had been lost in a bog for 2,000 years and believe it may have...

1650-Year-Old Earthen Grills Unearthed in Assos Excavations

14 August 2021

14 August 2021

Excavations continue in Assos Ancient City, a rich settlement of the period, which is located within the borders of Behramkale...

Archaeologists discovered the earliest Iron Age house in Athens and Attica

26 May 2023

26 May 2023

A research team from the University of Göttingen discovered the earliest  Iron Age house in Athens and Attica. Archaeologists from...

A Treasure-Laden Burial Chamber Found Hidden Among Terracotta Army

7 June 2024

7 June 2024

Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of China, and his tomb is renowned for being guarded by an army...