17 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The discovery of great importance for Urartian archeology in Çavuştepe castle: Discovered a horse skeleton with a bronze curb bit in its jaw

Archaeologists unearthed a horse skeleton with a bronze curb bit (a metal piece inserted into its mouth to guide the mount) from the Urartian period in the Van Çavuştepe castle. For the first time in Urartian history, a curb bit in the form of a ring has come to light.

Çavuştepe Castle is located in the Çavuştepe neighborhood on the Van-Hakkari-Iran highway in the Gürpınar District, 25 km southeast of Van. It was built in the middle of the 8th century BC by the Urartian King Sarduri II.

The first excavations in Çavuştepe Castle were carried out under the presidency of Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen and continued to be done for 25 years between 1961 and 1986 while the second-period excavations started in 2014 and have been carried out under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Rafet Çavuşoğlu since then.

Excavations continue in Çavuştepe Castle and the necropolis area to the north of the castle.

Last year, at the location where a skeleton believed to belong to the Urartian ruling class was unearthed, this year a at skeleton with a bronze curb bit (a metal piece inserted into the horse’s mouth to control it) was found, as well.

Photo: AA

Prof. Dr. Çavuşoğlu, speaking to an AA correspondent, shared the following information about their ongoing restoration and excavation work at the castle and necropolis area:

“In our work this year, as in every year, we encountered a new discovery. We found a ring-shaped bit placed in the jaw of a horse, made of bronze. This is of significant importance in Urartian archaeology as it is the first time we have come across such an artifact. Previously, we found similar rings as armlets and bracelets on human skeletons. This new finding is of larger size and is placed in the middle of the horse’s mouth. We believe it was used by its owner to control the animal more effectively. This is the first time we have found a bit in the shape of a ring in Urartian history. It shows us the significant role horses played in Urartian society. These discoveries indicate that this place belonged to a ruling class.”

Photo: AA

Archaeology Department Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Yılmaz also stated, “The skull and lower jaw of the horse are intact. We determined that it was an adult horse. This discovery is a first in Turkey. We will examine it in the laboratory. With this finding, we are proving that this place belonged to a ruling class. The area is vast, and we are looking forward to more significant discoveries. The findings continue to excite us.”

The Necropolis (Cemetery) of the castle is approximately 1 km away from the castle, located in the north. Lots of illegal excavations made here before 2017, which have greatly damaged the Urartian Cemetery. In the archaeological excavations, crucially important information about the burial customs of the Urartian society was obtained.

Cover Photo Özkan Bilgin/AA

Related Articles

Archaeologists discover a well-planned new urban precinct in the Egyptian settlement of Marea

2 August 2021

2 August 2021

Archaeologists excavating the ancient port settlement and cemetery of Marea in Egypt have revealed that a significant part of the...

14,000 years old vessels made by Hunter-gatherers in Japan

1 May 2022

1 May 2022

The Late Pleistocene inhabitants of Tanegashima Island were making pottery about 14,000 years ago. In the Jomon period, people obtained...

A fossilized Neanderthal skeleton unearthed in France may have belonged to a previously undescribed lineage that split from other Neanderthals

12 September 2024

12 September 2024

The fossilized Neanderthal skeleton, discovered in a cave system in the Rhône Valley of France, represents a previously unidentified lineage...

Archaeologists Uncover Elegant Rare Blue Frescoes of an Ancient Sanctuary in Pompeii

10 June 2024

10 June 2024

Archaeologists digging away at ash covering the ancient city of Pompeii have uncovered a room with walls frescoed in an...

One of the largest mass burial pits ever discovered in the UK has been unearthed next to Leicester Cathedral

21 November 2024

21 November 2024

While excavating the gardens of Leicester Cathedral for the future construction of a learning center, archaeologists uncovered one of the...

Archaeologists discover one of the largest Phallus Relief Carving of ancient Rome

28 August 2022

28 August 2022

According to an announcement by the region’s local history museum, a large Roman-era relief carving of a phallus has been...

2000-year-old dagger reveals the site of a long-forgotten battle between the Roman Empire and tribal warriors

16 December 2023

16 December 2023

In Switzerland, a volunteer archaeologist and dental student Lucas Schmid discovered in 2019 a 2000-year-old silver and brass dagger. It...

Washi papers discovered inside a 675-year-old Buddhist statue in Japan

3 February 2024

3 February 2024

The carved head of an ancient Buddhist statue hidden in the Myooin temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan, has revealed pages...

Researchers may have uncovered the ruins of one of the largest ancient cafeterias for a Buddhist temple

9 February 2025

9 February 2025

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery at the site of the Yamashiro Kokubunji temple, revealing what is believed to be...

Archaeologists Discovered Over 500 Ancient Coins and A Gold Template for Making jewelry in Bulgaria

17 August 2024

17 August 2024

In Plovdiv, in southern Bulgaria, archaeologists have discovered over 500 ancient coins and a gold template for making jewelry from...

The Colchester Vase: New Analyses Uncover Evidence of Gladiatorial Combat in Roman Britannia

23 February 2025

23 February 2025

The Colchester Vase, dating back to A.D. 160–200, is not just a ceramic artifact; it is considered a unique graphic...

A section of one of Britain’s most important Roman roads unearthed under Old Kent Road in south-east London

15 November 2024

15 November 2024

Archaeologists have found a section of a Roman road under Old Kent Road in south-east London, part of one of...

Archaeologists Uncovered a Unique Ancient Roman Winery with Marble Tiling and Fountains of Grape Juice

17 April 2023

17 April 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique ancient Roman winery at the luxurious Villa of the Quintilii, just to the south of...

A relief of a man holding his Phallus was found in Sayburç, one of the Taş Tepeler

18 October 2021

18 October 2021

In Sayburç, one of the Taş Tepeler in Şanlıurfa, a five-figure scene consisting of humans, leopards, and a bull was...

Oldest footprints of pre-humans identified in Crete

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

Six million-year-old fossilized footprints on the island show the human foot had begun to develop. The oldest known footprints of...