17 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Middle Ages living space uncovered at an altitude of 1,800 meters in eastern Turkey

A living space carved into a bedrock considered to belong to the Middle Ages was found at a point overlooking Lake Van in the Çitören District of the Tusba district of Van province in eastern Turkey.

Tusba, also known as Thusba, was the capital of the Urartian kingdom in the 9th century BC.

The excavation team headed by Professor Rafet Çavuşoğlu, Head of the Archeology Department of the Faculty of Letters of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ), continues their work to record the historical structures in Van.

In this context, work was carried out in a hilly area with an altitude of 1800, opposite Çarpanak Island in Çitören District, 30 kilometers from the district.

Efforts are carried out in a mountainous area at an altitude of 1,800 meters (5,905 feet), opposing Carpanak Island in Citoren that is 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Tusba district.
Efforts are carried out in a mountainous area at an altitude of 1,800 meters (5,905 feet), opposing Carpanak Island in Citoren that is 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Tusba district. Photo: AA

The team, which detected a 3-room living space carved into the bedrock in an area close to the area where two Urartian rock tombs were previously identified, started an investigation in the area.



📣 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!!



Earlier, ruins of a castle dating 2,800 years ago were discovered during an excavation project in a nearby area.

Remains of pottery were found in the living area with a length of 6 meters (20 feet) and a diameter of 3 meters (10 feet) carved into the bedrock, which was determined not to be registered in the inventory of cultural assets.

The space was established in a very strategic area that oversees historical trade routes.
The space was established in a very strategic area that oversees historical trade routes. Photo: AA

“We understand from the pottery and potsherds that this was a settlement used in the Middle Ages. One of the most important features of this place is that it is located at a very dominant point,” Çavuşoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA).

He said the space was established strategically and oversaw historical trade routes.

Remains of pottery were found in the living area with a length of 6 meters (20 feet) and a diameter of 3 meters (10 feet) carved into the bedrock.
Remains of pottery were found in the living area with a length of 6 meters (20 feet) and a diameter of 3 meters (10 feet) carved into the bedrock. Photo: AA

“The ancient road route passed by the edge of Lake Van,” he said. “This place is located at a point where you can see all these routes. The eastern part of the settlement has been destroyed. It was arranged on two floors. This feature is used in both the early and Middle Ages.”

The remains in the area, which is located at a point overlooking Lake Van and determined to be used by different civilizations in the Middle Ages, will be examined in detail by archaeologists.

Related Articles

4,500-Year-Old Dog Teeth-Adorned Bags Found in Germany May Have Been Elite Baby Carriers

11 July 2025

11 July 2025

Archaeological excavations near Krauschwitz reveal rare decorated leather bags buried with women and infants—shining new light on Neolithic burial customs...

3 Bronze Shields and Helmet of 2700 Years Old Belonging to Urartians Found in Ayanis Castle

8 September 2024

8 September 2024

Three bronze shields and a bronze helmet dedicated to Haldi, the chief god of the Urartians, were discovered during excavations...

The Discovery of a Bronze Age Game Board in Azerbaijan Challenges the Origin of One of the World’s Oldest Games

30 August 2024

30 August 2024

A new archaeological study revealed that an ancient board of a game, known as “Hounds and Jackals” or the “Game...

Human history in one click: Database with 2,400 prehistoric sites

10 August 2023

10 August 2023

The role of culture in human spread: Digital data collection contains 150 years of research. Human history in one click:...

Archaeologists identify three new Roman camps in Arabia

27 April 2023

27 April 2023

Through remote sensing analysis, archaeologists have identified three new Roman fortified camps throughout northern Arabia. Their study, released today in...

The World’s Earliest Ground Stone Needles Found in Western Tibetan Plateau

26 June 2024

26 June 2024

In western Tibet, six peculiar stone artifacts were discovered in 2020 by archaeologists excavating close to the shore of Lake...

Historic Discovery in Karahantepe: The First T-Shaped Pillar with a Human Face Unearthed

6 October 2025

6 October 2025

Archaeologists working under the Taş Tepeler Project, led by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, have made a groundbreaking discovery...

2,000-year-old financial record uncovered on Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, Jerusalem

17 May 2023

17 May 2023

A financial record dating back 2,000 years has been unearthed on the Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, Jerusalem’s...

Archaeologists Discover Clay Figurines from Early Iron Age in Ukraine

17 December 2024

17 December 2024

Archaeologists have discovered clay figurines of young bulls from the Early Iron Age near the Metropolitan Chambers in the village...

Researchers discovered clay tablets with ancient cuneiform writing, a game board, and large structural remains in Kurd Qaburstan

16 January 2025

16 January 2025

Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida (UCF), and a researchers team have made important...

A Sacred Area from the Copper Age and 5000-years-old A Stele Decorated Discovered in Italy

24 August 2024

24 August 2024

The remains of a sacred area that dates back at least four thousand years have been discovered during excavations for...

19 funerary tombs from Roman times were discovered in Tartus, Syria

27 May 2022

27 May 2022

During search and excavation operations in the archaeological area of Amrit in Tartus, Syria, a joint excavation team from the...

Europe’s oldest grave of a newborn girl found in İtaly

15 December 2021

15 December 2021

An international team of researchers has found Europe’s oldest tomb of a newborn girl, dating back 10,000 years, in Liguria....

The 3400-year-old city belonging to a mysterious Kingdom emerged from the Tigris river

30 May 2022

30 May 2022

Archaeologists from Germany and Kurdistan have discovered a 3,400-year-old Mittani Empire-era city on the Tigris River. The ruins emerged on...

Archaeologists discovered medieval Bury St Edmunds Abbey ‘Bishop Boy’ token in Norfolk

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

Archaeologists have discovered token in Norfolk in the East of England, dating from between 1470 and 1560, given to the...