17 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archeologists find a 3,500-year-old mosaic in central Turkey

Archaeologists have discovered a 3,500-year-old mosaic in central Turkey, which might be one of the world’s oldest.

The impressive power of the Hittite Civilization on Anatolian History is increasing day by day with new archaeological excavations. In addition to their distinctive and impressive architectural features, they continue to surprise us with their pioneering innovations.

The most important discovery of the period was made in Uşaklı Mound, located within the borders of Büyük Taşlık Village of Sorgun District of Yozgat Province.

The mosaic, measuring 3 by 7 meters (10 by 23 feet) consists of 3,147 stones and was found in Uşaklı Mound located in Yozgat province’s Sorgun district, where surface surveys were initiated in 2008 and excavations began in 2012.

This unique discovery raises new questions about the origin of mosaic flooring in Near Eastern public architecture of this period.



📣 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!!



An aerial view from Uşaklı Mound, Yozgat, central Turkey. (AA Photo)
An aerial view from Uşaklı Mound, Yozgat, central Turkey. (AA Photo)

It has been previously documented that cobblestones and paving stones were used in the laying of external floors, streets, and courtyards in Central Anatolia during the Hittite period. A rectangular cobblestone pavement parallel to the wall with a door paved the interior of the northeast portal of the Great Temple of Sarissa, while at Sapinuwa (modern Ortaköy), similar flooring arrangements were found between the exterior and interior spaces; such alignments can also be seen on paved terraces used for ritual purposes. The courtyard of the Büyükkale fortress gate is covered with red chipped stones, and the area around the Great Temple is also covered with flat stones.

The floors in these examples were deliberately laid. It is characterized by the use of pebbles or large pavers and they are not arranged in decorative patterns. The floor of Uşaklı is unique in that it consists of small stones carefully selected according to their shapes and colors to allow the creation of geometric designs in certain colors.

Archaeologists work on the mosaic found in Uşaklı Mound, Yozgat, central Turkey. (AA Photo)
Archaeologists work on the mosaic found in Uşaklı Mound, Yozgat, central Turkey. (AA Photo)

The stones are arranged in groups of contrasting colors that range from dark to light, forming geometric patterns. The floor is divided into three rectangular frames with its long axis running from southwest to northeast. Each rectangle contains three rows of triangles of different colors, including white, light red, and black-blue. Two stones are seen to be orange-yellow. Only what appears to be the southeast edge of the design is well preserved, again appearing as a frame of three narrow parallel stone bands of white, black-blue, and white; the stones of the outer white band are paved with the thin edges on top for a narrower final border.

Hüseyin Çiftçi, provincial culture, and tourism director said the excavations are being carried out jointly by the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Museum, Bozok University, and Italy’s Pisa University.

Uşaklı Mound mosaic
Archaeologists have discovered a 3,500-year-old mosaic in central Turkey, which might be one of the world’s oldest.

He continued: “It has been determined through scientific studies that the mosaic found is the first of its kind in world history. The mold of the mosaic also supports this as it is quite primitive. We plan to add value to the tourism sector through this discovery.”

Anacleto D’agostino, a lecturer at Pisa University and the excavation team head, said that the mosaic they found belongs to the 1500s B.C. Also stating that the mosaic is the oldest in the world, he said: “We know there are similar mosaics in Greece, but we think that the mosaic here is older than that there.”

Source: D’Agostino, A. (2019). A mosaic floor from the Late Bronze Age building II of Uşaklı Höyük, central Turkey. Antiquity, 93(372)

http://usaklihoyuk.org/

Related Articles

Archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old rock-carved face at Spain’s Tossal de La Cala castle

20 May 2023

20 May 2023

Archaeologists have discovered a rock-carved face at Toscal De La Cala, a Roman fort in Benidorm, on the east coast...

An Elite Nubian Woman’s Burial, Dating Back 4,000 Years, Reveals the Oldest Evidence of Tumpline Use

15 April 2025

15 April 2025

A recent study analyzing 30 ancient skeletons from the Abu Fatima cemetery in Nubia, Sudan, has revealed that women in...

A first in 35 years! Child grave with bracelets and gifts found in ancient city of Kelenderis

25 June 2022

25 June 2022

During this year’s excavations in the ancient city of Kelenderis, founded on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of...

A ‘Talismanic Grave Tablet’ Believed to Protect From Evil Found in Silifke Castle

3 September 2024

3 September 2024

During excavations in the Silifke castle located on lies on a hill in the town with the same name in...

Thor’s hammer amulet discovered in Sweden

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed the Thor’s Hammer amulet, which they call “one of its kind” in Ysby in southwestern Sweden’s Halland...

Naked Venus statue discovered in a Roman garbage dump in France

29 March 2023

29 March 2023

Archaeologists from the French National Institute for Preventative Archaeological Research (Inrap) has been uncovered a trove of artifacts, including two...

Farmer was Discovers 2600-year-old Stone Slab of Pharaoh Apries

19 June 2021

19 June 2021

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced that a farmer in Ismailia, Egypt, uncovered a 2,600-year-old stone monument erected by Pharaoh...

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...

A still life fresco discovered in new excavations of Pompeii Regio IX

28 June 2023

28 June 2023

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Pompeii have uncovered a gorgeous still-life fresco depicting a platter covered in food and...

An Urartian fortress was discovered at an altitude of 3,300 meters in eastern Turkey

2 July 2022

2 July 2022

In the Gürpınar district of Van, located in eastern Turkey, a fortress ruin, which is considered to be used by...

The New Study, Reveals Invisible Stews

25 November 2022

25 November 2022

New Results of Organic Residue Analyzes of Beveled Rim Bowls in Mesopotamia Reveal Invisible Stews. The world’s first urban state...

Rare Arabic inscription discovered during Malta housing project works

3 May 2023

3 May 2023

A rare Arabic inscription, possibly dating back to medieval times, was discovered at the site of a social housing project...

An Ancient Site Found in UAE may be Sixth-Century Lost City of Tu’am

18 June 2024

18 June 2024

Ruins from the sixth century have been discovered during excavations in the United Arab Emirates Umm Al Quwain region, which...

Archaeologists Discover Prehistoric Irish Monuments That May Have Been ‘Routes For The Dead’

27 April 2024

27 April 2024

Traces of hundreds of monuments, which were previously unknown, have been identified in an archaeological survey in Ireland. Five of...

Could Therasia’s 4,500-Year-Old Seals Be the Missing Link in Aegean Writing?

3 June 2025

3 June 2025

Therasia’s archaeological discovery offers significant insights, influencing our understanding of Early Bronze Age communication and the emergence of writing in...