17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Traces of the Battle of Thymbra: Two Lydian Soldier Skeletons and A Helmet Found in the Ancient City of Sardis

During the archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Sardes, the capital of the Lydian Kingdom in western Türkiye, traces of the Battle of Thymbra, which took place in 546 BC between the Lydian King Croesus and the Persian Emperor Cyrus II and resulted in the defeat of the Lydian Kingdom and the conquest of Sardes, were found.

In the battle that resulted in the Persian domination of Western Anatolia, the skeletons of two soldiers aged 20-26 were found under the monumental city wall, which was discovered about 50 years ago and unearthed during this year’s excavations.

Prof. Dr. Nicholas Cahill, Head of the excavation, noted that there were traces of sword wounds on the skeletons of the soldiers, especially on their heads and arms, and stones were found in the palms of the soldiers.

One of two skeletons of soldiers found at the foot of the monumental city wall, the body was discarded in a layer of bricky debris when the fortification was deliberately destroyed and Sardis de-fortified. This must have happened shortly after the soldier had died since the bones were still largely articulated and he still clutched a rock in his hand.

Photo: DHA

Stating that 2 soldier skeletons were found during the excavation of the monumental city wall this year, Prof. Dr. Cahill said, “The Battle of Thymbra between Cyrus the Great and Croesus resulted in the defeat of the Kingdom of Lydia and the conquest of Sardes. The soldier skeletons found in the Persian destruction layer at the base of the monumental city wall are estimated to be in their 20s and 25s. The skeletons have injuries from swords and similar weapons. We think that these soldiers were thrown into the ruins of the city wall after the war without being buried or organized a ceremony. A stone was found in the palm of a soldier. This stone is likely to be a sling stone. Since these soldiers were thrown at the bottom of the city wall, they are not the military personnel of the victorious Persians, but the soldiers of the defeated Lydians.”

Prof. Dr. Nicholas Cahill said that a helmet was found next to the skeletons found to belong to Lydian soldiers and said, “In our examination of the skeletons of the soldiers, there is compression in the bones. This indicates that they were wearing very heavy armor. A helmet was also found next to the skeletons. This helmet is now in the Manisa Museum. One skeleton has a broken arm. The soldier probably broke it with a war tool while defending himself.”

Photo: DHA

One of the skeletons was complete except for part of the pelvis. It belonged to a young man, estimated to be 22-26 years old at death, in good physical condition. His left arm was more developed by holding a heavyweight, probably a shield, while the right arm displayed the effects of repetitive forward motion, such as wielding a sword or spear. His helmet, possibly the same one that was discovered nearby, compressed the vertebrae in his neck, which are preserved with the skull.

He had been wounded in the back and front chest, and he had sustained two facial wounds about three or four years before his death. His left arm was also broken at the time of death, most likely from self-defense against an overhead blow. He still held a stone in his clenched fist, which appears to be a slingstone, in his right hand.

Photo: DHA

Sardis is the city of the Lydians, who are one of the Anatolian peoples. They had a special language. In the sixth century B.C., they established a great empire and printed the first money in the world. They minted the first coin with natural electron metal, a mixture of gold and silver. It again became the capital city of Persia. When Alexander the Great came, it became an important city again. In the Byzantine period, the whole city was destroyed by a great earthquake and life continued in the Acropolis.

Cover Image: A drone image of a segment of wall on the Sardis acropolis, in what is now Türkiye. Photo: Ben Anderson

Related Articles

1.5-Million-year-old Footprints have Revealed the Co-Existence of two Ancient Human Species in Kenya

30 November 2024

30 November 2024

Thanks to a set of preserved footprints on the ancient shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya, researchers have uncovered the...

Magical Roman Phallus Wind Chime Unearthed in Serbia

15 November 2023

15 November 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman phallus wind chime known as a tintinnabulum, during excavations at the ancient city of Viminacium...

Archaeologists Discover Fragment of Medieval Inscription of Church in Melnik

1 March 2024

1 March 2024

124 artifacts made of stone, ceramics, and metal were discovered during archaeological excavations in the Church of the Holy Mother...

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...

New study: Humans engaged in large-scale warfare in Europe 5,000 years ago ‘1,000 years earlier than previously thought’

3 November 2023

3 November 2023

Hundreds of human remains unearthed from a burial site point to a  warfare between Stone Age people long before the...

Beehives of Saudi Arabia’s Thought to be Over 1,000 Years Old

20 July 2024

20 July 2024

Located in the majestic Sarawat Mountain range in western Saudi Arabia, the ancient beehives in the Maysan Governorate constitute a...

Norwegian couple found a Viking Age Grave And Sword in their garden

3 July 2023

3 July 2023

While trying to expand their home, a Norwegian couple found a Viking Age grave and sword in their garden. It’s...

A new magnetic survey of the ancient Assyrian capital of Khorsabad has revealed a 127-room villa twice the size of the U.S. White House

26 December 2024

26 December 2024

Archaeologists in northern Iraq have conducted an extensive magnetic survey using an exhaustive magnetic survey at Khorsabad, once the ancient...

“Important discovery” showing that the Hittite city of Büklükale close ties with the Hurrian society

21 October 2022

21 October 2022

According to Japanese archaeologists, an ancient clay tablet discovered at the Büklükale ruins in central Turkey suggests that a little-known...

The Worst Torture Device in History “Brazen Bull”

2 February 2021

2 February 2021

Agrigentum Tyranny today is in the provincial borders of Agrigento in the Sicily Autonomous Region in the southwest of Sicily....

Hundreds of 8,400-Year-Old Finger Flutings Discovered in Australia’s Glittering Cave

15 August 2025

15 August 2025

Deep within a remote limestone cave in southeastern Australia, archaeologists have uncovered a breathtaking link to the past — hundreds...

Ancient tomb with prayer-related murals found in China’s Shanxi

25 December 2021

25 December 2021

Archaeologists in north China’s Shanxi Province have found an ancient tomb dating back to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) with murals...

World’s Oldest Architectural House Model from 12,000-Year-Old Çayönü Hill Now on Display in Türkiye

6 July 2025

6 July 2025

Unearthed at the 12,000-year-old Çayönü Hill, the world’s oldest architectural house model is now on display at the Diyarbakır Museum,...

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...

Ancient Warrior Vessel Discovered at Chankillo, The Oldest Solar Observatory in the Americas

1 September 2025

1 September 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a fragmented vessel depicting a warrior at Chankillo, the oldest solar observatory in the Americas, located in...