3 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Stone reliefs describing the Persian-Greek wars were found in the ancient city of Daskyleion in northwestern Turkey

A relief depicting a fifth-century BC battle between the Greeks and Persians was discovered in the ancient city of Dascylium in the Bandırma district of Balikesir, northwest Turkey.

Archeological excavations at the ancient city of Daskyleion, which has evidence of numerous Anatolian civilizations, continue under the direction of Professor Kaan İren, Faculty Member of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University’s Archeology Department.

According to archeologist Kaan Iren, who heads the excavation site of the ancient city of Dascylium, the figures on the relief show fighting Greek soldiers beneath the hoofs of Persian warhorses.

“Here is a scene of propaganda under the pretext of war. We can say these reliefs are a scene from the Persian-Greek wars,” Iren told Anadolu Agency.

He added: “We think these reliefs were probably made for propaganda purposes during the wars.”

Professor Kaan İren told: "Here is a scene of propaganda under the pretext of war. We can say these reliefs are a scene from the Persian-Greek wars,"
Professor Kaan İren told: “Here is a scene of propaganda under the pretext of war. We can say these reliefs are a scene from the Persian-Greek wars,”

Professor Iren said that the first settlers of the ancient city were the Phrygians. Stating that the reliefs carved into the stone were cleaned by the restorers in the excavation house, İren said:

“The relief, dating from the Persian era, from the 5th century BC, depicts the war between the Persians and the Greeks. This was one of the most important achievements of the season for us. In the figures on it, there are Greek soldiers fighting and Persians on horseback fighting them. Greek soldiers are depicted under the feet of Persian horses,” he said.

The excavation team discovered the relief while trying to unearth the 8th century BC wall from the Phrygian period. The five-meter-wide wall is believed to have been built by the ancient Phrygian civilization to protect its territory.

Profesör Kaan İren, “Of the eighth-century-B.C. wall left from the Phrygian age, this year we unearthed an area of four meters (13.1 feet) high and 40 meters long. We think this wall, which is made of stone and mudbrick with the mudbrick parts having disappeared over time, was seven or eight meters high,” said.

Iren stated that the discovery of the relief during the excavations of the wall surprised the team and became one of the season’s most significant discoveries.

Balıkesir Governorship, Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, Bandırma, and Manyas municipalities, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Bandırma Çelebi Port Management, and Hydrogen Peroxide, Banvit, Mauri Maya, Torunlar Gıda companies also support the excavation.

Related Articles

From Türkiye to Iraq: Returning 6,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets That Unlock Ancient Mesopotamia

2 July 2025

2 July 2025

Türkiye has made a significant contribution to cultural diplomacy and historical justice by returning six ancient cuneiform clay tablets to...

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...

An Egyptian Tomb Decorated with Magic Snake Spells Discovered

9 November 2023

9 November 2023

During excavations at Abusir, between Giza and Saqqara, archaeologists at the Czech Institute of Egyptology (CIE) found an ancient tomb...

Excavations at Aizanoi in Western Turkey to Resume

29 March 2021

29 March 2021

The ancient city of Aizanoi is located in the town of Çavdarhisar, 57 km from the center of Kütahya (Turkey’s...

A 130,000-year-old Stingray Sand Sculpture on South Africa’s Coast May Be the World’s Oldest Animal Art

4 April 2024

4 April 2024

Analyzing this object, which at first glance looks like a symmetrical rock, the research team speculated that it could be...

Ruins of the 700-year-old wharf, possibly used by royalty, found in Oslo

6 March 2023

6 March 2023

An excavation by NIKU archaeologists in Oslo’s seaside neighborhood of Bjørvika has uncovered the remains of a long section of...

Researchers have unveiled text concealed beneath an intricate decorative layer of gold leaf on a page of the famous Blue Qur’an

19 November 2024

19 November 2024

Using multispectral imaging techniques, researchers from the Zayed National Museum have uncovered text hidden beneath an intricate layer of gold...

Morocco team announces 1.3 million years major Stone Age find

29 July 2021

29 July 2021

A multinational team of archaeologists announced the discovery of North Africa’s oldest Stone Age hand-ax manufacturing site, going back 1.3...

New evidence suggests Indonesia’s Gunung Padang could be world’s oldest known pyramid

21 November 2023

21 November 2023

Gunung Padang, a  colossal megalithic structure nestled in the lush landscapes of West Java, Indonesia, could be the world’s oldest...

Rare gold gifts 2300 years old discovered in the famous Phoenician city of Carthage

17 August 2023

17 August 2023

Archaeologists excavating the sanctuary of Tophet, Carthage uncovered a collection of offerings, Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs announced in a...

A woman who had brain surgery 9500 years ago will be brought revived

12 September 2021

12 September 2021

A “revival” effort is underway on a woman’s skull unearthed in 1989 during archaeological digs at the Aşıklı Mound in...

12 tombs with Beautiful Decorations and Carved Bricks from the period of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, found in China

22 May 2023

22 May 2023

China has a rich history. In addition to the fossil records from the Paleolithic Period, the country has witnessed the...

A 1600-year-old writing set was unearthed in the city of Bathonea, which has the oldest ancient port in Istanbul

21 August 2022

21 August 2022

During the Istanbul Bathonea excavations, a 1600-year-old writing set containing a miniature vessel, a bone writing pen, and an inkwell,...

Sensational Discovery in Kazakhstan: Rare Turko-Sughd Early Medieval Coin Discovered in Almaty Region

24 June 2024

24 June 2024

A sensational discovery was made in the Kogaly Valley, two hours from Almaty, Kazakhstan. For the first time in Kazakhstan,...

Archaeologists in northern Spanish have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Basque language text

15 November 2022

15 November 2022

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Basque language text, on  Irulegi archaeological site, near the Aranguren...