11 July 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.

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

Uncovering a Rare Enamelled Roman Brooch in Scotland

6 March 2025

6 March 2025

Recent research by GUARD Archaeology highlights a rare enamelled Roman brooch, suggesting its potential use in a “foundation offerings ritual”...

Alexander the Great’s Sacred Purple Tunic Found in a 2,400-year-old Macedonian Tomb?

29 October 2024

29 October 2024

Archaeologists have found a sacred chiton (tunic) in a 2400-year-old royal tomb in the Macedonian city of Vergina in northern...

New evidence for the use of lions during executions in Roman Britain

9 August 2021

9 August 2021

Archaeologists have discovered an elaborate key as proof that wild animals were employed as execution vehicles in public arena events...

Neanderthal Fingerprint on 50,000-Year-Old Pebble Could Be Europe’s Oldest Portable Artwork

29 May 2025

29 May 2025

New analysis reveals that a pebble marked with ochre and a fingerprint could be the earliest known example of transportable...

3,000-year-old Drill Bit Workshop Unearthed in Vietnam’s

13 May 2021

13 May 2021

According to the provincial museum, an ancient drill bit workshop dating back more than 3,000 years has been discovered at...

DNA Analysis Reveals Identifies the Genetic Makeup of Piceni the Most Fascinating Civilizations of Pre-Roman Italy

24 November 2024

24 November 2024

A study conducted by an international team coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome and the Italian National Research Council (CNR)...

Roman mosaic found under the pavement in the narrow streets of Hvar

13 February 2022

13 February 2022

In the Old Town on the Adriatic island of Hvar, Croatia, a Roman mosaic was unearthed beneath a narrow street....

1st Century BCE Medusa Mask Mold Discovered in Ancient Finziade, Sicily

24 January 2025

24 January 2025

At the Finziade archaeological site in the Sicilian town of Licata, archaeologists have discovered a mask mold that could represent...

Mass graves of Crusaders killed in the 13th century have been discovered in Lebanon

17 September 2021

17 September 2021

From 1096 to 1291, waves of Europeans took up arms and marched into the Middle East. They hope to “take...

6,000-Year-Old Settlement Was home to Europe’s first megalithic monument makers

22 February 2023

22 February 2023

Archaeologists in France unearthed the remains of a series of wooden buildings within a defensive enclosure that were built at...

First of Its Kind: 1,400-year-old Silla Crown Adorned with Jewel Beetle Wings Unearthed in South Korea

24 May 2025

24 May 2025

In a dazzling discovery blending nature and royalty, archaeologists in South Korea have unearthed a 1,400-year-old crown adorned with jewel...

1,800-year-old wooden mask likely used in farm festivals found in Japan

25 April 2023

25 April 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed an almost perfectly preserved wooden mask from the early third century at the Nishi-Iwata ruins in Osaka...

Hunter-Gatherers Kept an ‘Orderly Home’ in the Earliest Known British Dwelling

25 July 2024

25 July 2024

Based on archaeological evidence from a Yorkshire site, new research suggests that hunter-gatherers probably kept an organized home with designated...

1.5 tons of bronze coins found in east China

19 December 2022

19 December 2022

An ancient coin hoard containing 1.5 tonnes of coins from the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties has been discovered...

An ancient bronze hand may be the oldest and longest example of Vasconic script

20 February 2024

20 February 2024

Researchers have discovered rare evidence of an enigmatic ancient language on a 2,000-year-old bronze hand. The inscription on the hand...