22 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists unearth first archaeological evidence about Anatolia’s mysterious Kaska community, sworn enemies of the Hittites

In the course of the excavations conducted by Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University‘s Department of Archaeology, artifacts from the Late Bronze Age that are connected to the Kaska, a lost Anatolian community, were uncovered in İnönü Cave in Alacabük village in the Ereğli district of Zonguldak, northern Türkiye.

The Kaska – also known as the Kaskans, Gagsa, and Kaskia – were an ancient Anatolian people who inhabited the remote valleys between the northern border of the Hittite kingdom and the Black Sea. They did not construct cities and lacked a written language. They are only known from Hittite accounts, which portray them as pig farmers and linen weavers.

The Hittites came into conflict many times with this ethnic group to the northeast of their empire. The Kaska leveraged their mountainous and densely forested territory along the southern Black Sea coast to outsmart one of the most formidable civilizations in the world. The holy Hittite cities of Nerik and Zalpa were overrun by the Kaska, who migrated down from their mountain homes around 1400 BC. Despite this fact, extraordinarily little is known about the Kaska.

Findings from the third layer of the cave, which dates to the Late Bronze Age, may provide the first archaeological proof of this mysterious group, according to Hamza Ekmen, an associate professor at Bülent Ecevit University and the excavation’s scientific adviser.

Assoc. Prof. Hamza Ekmen
Assoc. Prof. Hamza Ekmen

 “We propose that the findings in this layer, linked to the period of 1650 to 1200 B.C., may be associated with the Kaskas, a lost community of ancient Anatolia,” Ekmen explained.



📣 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 İnönü cave, believed to be the western Black Sea’s oldest settlement, has yielded evidence of continuous human habitation dating back 6,500 years to the Chalcolithic Age.  Artifacts from five different settlement periods were found in the cave, including items related to the Hittites, a powerful civilisation of the Late Bronze Age.

“Ancient Hittite kings, from Hattusili I to Suppiluliuma II, documented the Kaskas as raiders who pillaged cities, temples, and settlements during periods of Hittite vulnerability. They even seized Nerik, a key religious city dedicated to the storm god,” Ekmen said.

Despite over a century of Hittitology research, concrete evidence of Kaska habitation has remained elusive. “The Kaskas have always been a central question for scholars studying Hittite archaeology. Although their existence is frequently referenced in cuneiform texts, no settlement linked to them has ever been conclusively identified — until now,” he added.

“The cave’s location and the lifestyle it suggests closely align with the geographical descriptions of Kaska territories in Hittite texts,” Ekmen noted. Artifacts from the Cave’s third layer bear striking similarities to Hittite-era objects but differ in context, suggesting a unique cultural identity.

In addition to a dagger that is identical to one discovered in the Hittite city of Şapinuva and seal stamps that resemble Hittite designs, the team discovered wooden platforms that were probably used as storage or living areas, as well as a variety of metal, clay, and bone artifacts.

“The combination of these artifacts offers compelling clues that Inönü Cave may be the first archaeological site linked to this enigmatic group. These discoveries provide a critical foundation for future research into their history,” he said.

Excavations in İnönü Cave, which has been taken under protection, continue. The studies are very important in terms of shedding light on the life of this mysterious people of Anatolia.

Cover Image Credit: DHA

Related Articles

The World’s Oldest Smiling Water Flask with Emoji will be on display

4 July 2021

4 July 2021

After the collapse of the Hittite Empire, the Late Hittite States was established in Anatolia and Syria. One of these...

Restored walls collapse in 1500-year-old Shahr-e Belqeys, concerns mount over further damage

12 May 2024

12 May 2024

Recently, a portion of the restored walls of 1500-year-old Shahr-e Belqeys (“City of Belqeys”), a historical city made of mudbricks...

World’s Oldest Customer Complaint “at 3800 Years Old”

4 February 2021

4 February 2021

When we are not satisfied with the product we receive, what almost all of us do is complain about the...

12 tombs with Beautiful Decorations and Carved Bricks from the period of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, found in China

22 May 2023

22 May 2023

China has a rich history. In addition to the fossil records from the Paleolithic Period, the country has witnessed the...

1,800-year-old Bronze military medal with Medusa head found in southeastern Turkey

5 October 2022

5 October 2022

A military medal believed to be almost 1,800 years old has been found by archaeologists in Turkey. The discovery was...

A well-preserved comb discovered in a 4th-century rare Alemannic chamber grave in Germany

4 September 2024

4 September 2024

During a rescue excavation in the center of the village of Gerstetten, located in the Heidenheim district of southwestern Germany,...

Ancient ceremonial chariot found in Pompeii

27 February 2021

27 February 2021

The Archaeological Park announced that a gorgeous Roman chariot was found “almost intact” near Pompeii, where it was buried, calling...

A Batavian Cavalry Mask was found on the Battlefield of Roman Comrades

22 July 2022

22 July 2022

Archaeologists have discovered that a rusty corroded plate they found 4 years ago at an old battlefield in the city...

Do Byzantine coins Record the Supernova of 1054?

25 June 2022

25 June 2022

SN 1054 was one of the most spectacular astronomical events of all time. The supernova explosion eventually formed what is...

Excavations at Meir Necropolis have turned up funerary artifacts from two distinct eras of ancient history

16 May 2023

16 May 2023

An Egyptian team of archaeologists has uncovered a collection of structural relics dated to the Byzantine and Late Period in...

Riddle of Former Crater Lakes in the Highest Mountains of the Sahara Solved

18 August 2025

18 August 2025

An interdisciplinary research team, led by scientists from the Free University of Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology,...

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....

The oldest trace of human activity discovered in North America dates back 23,000 years

26 September 2021

26 September 2021

A recent fossil footprint found in New Mexico, the United States, indicates that humans existed in North America about 23,000...

Ancient Elegance Revealed: Exquisite Jewelry and Amulets from the 26th Dynasty Discovered at Karnak

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

In a remarkable revelation that sheds light on ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, alongside the...

Archeological park to be built at suburban Shanghai ancient ruins site in China

20 October 2021

20 October 2021

An archeological park will be built at the Qinglong Town ruins site of Baihe in Qingpu District as part of...