8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

First in Anatolian Archaeology, a 2,600-year-old Sacred Room and Stone Symbolizing the Goddess Kubaba Discovered at Oluz Höyük

Archaeologists have discovered a sacred room and stone from the Phrygian period, dating back 2,600 years, during excavations at the Oluz Höyük settlement mound in the village of Toklucak in Türkiye’s Black Sea province of Amasya.

Professor Şevket Dönmez, who is an academic at Istanbul University’s Archaeology Department and who leads the excavations described the find as a first in Anatolian archaeology, highlighting the significance of uncovering a sacred stone linked to the goddess Kubaba.

“Discovering a sacred room and its associated sacred stone marks a first-ever occurrence in the field of Anatolian archaeology,” he stated.

The discovery, including a 20-square-meter structure and altars dedicated to Kubaba, aligns with historical accounts of a black stone representing the goddess.

“Historical texts describe a black stone symbolizing the goddess Kubaba. Finding a sacred stone in a square structure dedicated to her in Central Anatolia is of profound significance in Anatolian archaeology. This discovery brings to life the written sources, providing tangible evidence of the relationship between the sacred stone and the mother goddess. This connection dates back to the 6th century B.C.,” Professor Donmez explained.

A 2,600-year-old sacred stone from the Phrygian period, uncovered during excavations at Oluz Hoyuk. Photo: IHA

“We believe that more discoveries will emerge from this sacred space. It may even represent a transition to monotheism in Anatolia.”

Oluzhöyük the excavations, where they came across a religious complex such as the 2,500-year-old Persian road, the firehouses (Ateşgede) found for the first time in Anatolia, and a multi-column temple, had exciting results every year.

Oluz Höyük made us distinguish some evidence regarding Anatolian Iron Age archaeology and ancient history that we haven’t noticed until today.

Oluz Höyük, located 25 kilometers west of Amasya, is an ancient city that has rich findings of religious structuring. During the excavations that have been going on for 17 years, 10 settlement layers were encountered, and each of them had a religious structure.

You can read our article about the subject: Evidence of the Birth of Archaic Monotheism in Anatolia found at Oluz Höyük, “Havangah prayer at Oluz Höyük”.

The project, supported by Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and local institutions, aims to restore the site and open it to tourism, potentially uncovering more elements of this sacred complex.

Related Articles

A Fig Dating Back Over 2,000 Years has been Discovered in North Dublin – A First of Its Kind for Ireland

28 November 2024

28 November 2024

The discovery of a fig dating back 2,000 years during an archaeological excavation of Drumanagh in north Dublin, has been...

Hidden Archaeological Treasures from Cologne Cathedral

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

An area of around 4,000 square meters (43,055 square feet) is being discovered beneath the Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic...

Czech experimental archaeologists successfully completed their 1-month voyage in the Aegean Sea using a replica of a prehistoric vessel

17 July 2023

17 July 2023

Radomír Tichý, an archeology professor at the University of Hradec Králové who is also the director of the Všestary Archeopark,...

3,000-year-old skeletons of nine children were discovered in Qazvin province, Iran

29 April 2023

29 April 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Tehran have discovered the remains of children dating back 3,000 years during excavations in an...

A Mysterious Human Face Carved on Stone Dated to Bronze Age Discovered in Kazakhstan

21 July 2024

21 July 2024

Kazakhstan’s rich archaeological landscape continues to reveal fascinating details about ancient civilizations. Recent research in the Akmola, and Pavlodar revealed...

A 900-year-old Crusader sword was found by a diver off Israel’s Carmen coast

18 October 2021

18 October 2021

A meter-long sword dating back to the Crusader period was found by an amateur diver on the seabed off the...

Rare bronze hand discovered in Roman Vindolanda, England

11 July 2023

11 July 2023

One of Europe’s most important Roman archeological sites is the Fort of Vindolanda, one of the earliest Roman garrisons built...

Archaeologists find a Roman military watchtower in Morocco for the first time

7 November 2022

7 November 2022

A Roman military watchtower the first of its kind was discovered by a team of Polish and Moroccan archaeologists in...

High school student discovered a 1500-year-old ancient Magical Mirror

9 August 2023

9 August 2023

 A High school student discovered an ancient “magical mirror” meant to ward off the evil eye in an archaeological excavation...

The sword, thought to be a replica, turned out to be an authentic 3000-year-old Bronze Age sword

22 January 2023

22 January 2023

A sword in Chicago’s Field Museum that was previously thought to be a replica has been revealed to be an...

A gilded silver Anglo-Saxon object “made by someone with a real eye for loveliness” has the experts baffled

2 January 2024

2 January 2024

An enigmatic Anglo-Saxon object has been unearthed in a captivating discovery near Langham, Norfolk, East of England. This gilded silver...

Norwegian Boy in Search of Granddad’s Wedding Ring Finds 1500-year-old Roman Jewellery

11 August 2021

11 August 2021

Sander Magnus Vang (12) needed to find his grandfather’s lost wedding ring. Instead, he found a 1500-year-old ring. The golden...

Egypt’s Tanis bronze figurines shed light on ancient commerce

19 July 2021

19 July 2021

A research team told that the newly discovered 3,000-year-old bronze figurines recently unearthed in Tanis, Egypt, can answer questions about...

Archaeologists uncovered over 100,000 ancient coins, some more than 2,000 years old

4 November 2023

4 November 2023 8

In an excavation at the Sosha Village East 03 archaeological site in Maebashi City, Japan, archaeologists stumbled upon a remarkable...

A unique tomb decorated with amber was discovered near Petrozavodsk

26 August 2021

26 August 2021

According to a press release from the Petrozavodsk State University a unique tomb was discovered on the western shore of...