29 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Could the Kerkenes Settlement be Gordion the Second?

Although the settlement on the Kerkenes mountain, located within the borders of Sorgun district of Yozgat, has been known and researched for a long time, it still has many secrets.

For example, we still do not know the name of this settlement. In the 2003 excavation season, the discovery of Phrygian inscriptions in the settlement believed to have been a Med city for a period pointing that the city may have been a Phrygian settlement.

Although it is thought that this is the city recorded as Pteria in ancient sources, studies that have been going on since 1993, unfortunately, could not provide sufficient evidence as to whether the settlement was the ancient city of Pteria.

So what happened in this long time? Let’s take a look at what has come to light and what is still hidden.

First of all, we are now almost certain that the city is not a Med city. Every excavation that took place in the settlement showed us that this was a Phrygian (Phrygian) city. With the Phrygian inscriptions on the monuments and ceramic remains, we know that the people of Phrygian origin lived here. It is possible to follow not only the inscriptions but also the traces of religious beliefs belonging to the Phrygians step by step here.

Plans of Kerkenes Dağ

The results of the Gordion excavations show that the settlement ended with a fire that started as a result of a military attack around 700 BC. Eusebius gives the date of 696-695 BC and Sextus Julius Africanus 675-674 BC for the Cimmerian invasion that plundered and destroyed the capital Gordion and caused the death of Midas.

According to studies, the Kerkenes city was built and inhabited for a generation in the late 7th and first half of the 6th centuries BC. Enough time must have passed to establish a new second capital Gordion.

Restored section of the Cappadocia Gate glacis and wall
Restored section of the Cappadocia Gate glacis and wall. Photo: Chicago

757 building blocks were unearthed in the settlement. In addition, artificial ponds have been created to meet the water need, which can manage all summer. The bottoms of these artificial ponds are covered with stone flooring. There are 7 main gates in the settlement and the monumental appearance of the gates is quite remarkable. It should be noted that the 7 main gates open to the main roads, which is not surprising considering that the city was probably built during a period of intense Cimmerian attacks, which was always in danger. It is also worth noting that Anatolia was going through a mixed period, far from being a political union, during this period.

The Battle of the River Halys or the Battle of Eclipse was a conflict between the Medes and Lydians in the early 6th century BC. When a solar eclipse takes place on one day of the 5-year war between the Lydian king Alyattes and the Med king Kyaksares, the war is ended by saying “Gods do not want this war” and a peace agreement is made. This event, which will be called the “Battle of the Eclipse”, took place on May 28, 585 BC. It does not seem possible for Lydia to endure 5 years unaided against the armies of the Medes in a region so far from Sardis. Probably, Alyattes continued the war by getting support from the settlement of Kerkenes, which was under Phrygian rule and even became the new capital of the Phrygians during the war. As a result, the war resulted in a peace agreement and the foundations of an agreement that would last 40 years in the region were laid.

During this period, the Kerkenes people began to gain strength and grow together with the newly joined peoples such as Muski, Tabal, and Kashka. Just like the people of Gordion, who made a leap in the last period of Gordion and started to build ostentatious and monumental buildings, they felt more secure as a result of this peace and started working to create a new Gordion.

The city’s fortification walls, which are about 7 kilometers long, form a settlement area of 2.5 square kilometers. It is certain that such a large settlement needs great economic power, population density, and knowledge. The most important result that should not be forgotten here is that these people already have the capacity and knowledge to build a monumental city. The presence of the palace complex and administrative structure found indicates the existence of an authority. It is quite natural that people who are already familiar with Gordian architecture try to build stronger fortification systems to protect themselves further.

Cultic images excavated within the Cappadocia Gate. A) Semi-iconic idol (S1); B) Aniconic stele (S2); C) Statue base (S3); D) Statue fragment with Phrygian fibulae. Drawings by Ben Claasz Coockson.

 It is observed that there are examples of these walls in the settlement established after the Hittites in Boğazköy. As a result of the peaceful relations with Lydia, the construction of a stronger and sloping fortification like Sardis means that learning has improved. Perhaps it would be more accurate to look for the lost city of Pteria in Boğazköy.

It is thought that the Kerkenes settlement faced fiery destruction just like the capital Gordion in 540 BC and was abandoned.

Ivory Plaque
Ivory Plaque. Photo: Kerkenes and Iron city

With the collapse of the Lydian Kingdom in 540, Phrygian lands were connected to the Great Phrygian satrapy together with Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, and Hellespontos as a part of the Persian Empire.

The excavation uncovered over 8,000 square meters of this enormous city. The earliest excavations were undertaken for a few weeks in 1928, long enough to place the city within the Iron Age. These brief excavations were followed by long-term excavations across the city since 1996. Major areas of excavation have included a portion of the city’s palatial complex as well as one of the seven city gates.

Despite the difficult climatic conditions of the settlement, the excavations continue in the best way possible. Excavations are under the direction of Professor Scott Branting.

Important note: I would like to thank my esteemed teacher, Professor Şevket Dönmez, who gave us different perspectives in his lectures.

Cover Photo: Kültür Portalı

Related Articles

Early Female Emperors in Japan “Empress Kōken”

2 July 2021

2 July 2021

Born into the aristocratic Fujiwara clan, this extraordinary woman first ascended to the throne as Empress Kōken and became the...

Traces of 9300-year-old settlement unearthed near Volcanic Cappadocia in central Turkey

28 August 2022

28 August 2022

During the most recent excavations at Sırçalıtepe Mound (Sırçalıtepe Höyük) in Türkiye’s central Niğde province, archaeologists discovered traces of a...

Human Presence in Malta Earlier Than Previously Thought: Hunter-Gatherers Navigated 100 km by Sea 1,000 Years Before Farmers

14 April 2025

14 April 2025

Recent archaeological findings have dramatically reshaped our understanding of human history in the Mediterranean, revealing that hunter-gatherers were capable of...

The ashes of 8,000 victims were found in two mass graves near the Soldau concentration camp in Poland

14 July 2022

14 July 2022

Polish authorities said they had unearthed two mass graves near the former Nazi concentration camp Soldau containing the ashes of...

A Nymphaeum was discovered in the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

New researchs uncovered a huge monumental sanctuary of water (Nymphaeum) above the reservoir in the southern quarter of Perperikon. Professor...

1800-year-old marble inscription found in Turkey’s Aigai excavations deciphered

2 October 2022

2 October 2022

The 1800-year-old inscription, consisting of 3 pieces of marble, found in the excavations in the ancient city of Aigai in...

Archaeologists have found a fort that the Romans built to protect their silver mines, complete with wooden spikes

23 February 2023

23 February 2023

Archaeologists have discovered wooden defenses surrounding an ancient Roman military base for the first time in Bad Ems, western Germany....

In a Wisconsin lake, archaeologists discover a 1,200-year-old dugout canoe

6 November 2021

6 November 2021

Maritime archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society have discovered a dugout wooden canoe in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, USA. Carbon analysis...

Sensational Find: 900-year-old Picture Stone! Is Depicted Figure the Legendary Bishop Otto of Bamberg?

19 August 2024

19 August 2024

During construction work in Klotzow (Vorpommern-Greifswald district), one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in recent years has...

Two new fragments of the Fasti Ostienses, a kind of chronicle engraved on marble slabs, have been found in the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park

19 August 2023

19 August 2023

Two new fragments of the Fasti Ostienses have been discovered in the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park, following investigations carried out...

40 Skeletons in Giant Jars Found in the Corsica Necropolis

16 May 2021

16 May 2021

Archaeologists working on the French island of Corsica discovered around 40 ancient graves where persons were buried inside gigantic jars...

Rare Hittite bracelet, 3300 years old, found by a farmer

28 March 2022

28 March 2022

A farmer in Turkey’s Çorum province discovered a rare 3,300-year-old ancient bracelet from the Hittite era while plowing his farm....

Nineteen Ancient Tombs from the 4th Century BC Unearthed in Padula, Campania

8 February 2025

8 February 2025

In Padula, located in the Campania region of southern Italy, authorities announced the remarkable discovery of nineteen ancient tombs during...

A Big, Round, 4,000-Year-Old Stone Building Discovered on a Cretan Hilltop

12 June 2024

12 June 2024

During excavations for an airport on Greece’s largest island of Crete, a large circular monument dating back 4000 years was...

Army Museum Worker Discovers Early Medieval Sword While Swimming in a Polish River

19 December 2024

19 December 2024

The collection of the Army Museum in Białystok, Poland has been enriched after renovation with a unique relic of great...