14 July 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

Underneath an Illegal Excavation House, a Subterranean City Is Revealed!

25 June 2021

25 June 2021

Upon the information that illegal excavations were carried out in a house in the İscehisar district of Afyonkarahisar in western...

Research Uncovers the Parthenon’s Spectacular Lighting Effects for Athena in Antiquity

9 May 2025

9 May 2025

A four-year multidisciplinary study led by Oxford University Archaeologist Professor Juan de Lara has shed new light on a millennia-old...

2600-year-old Med period artifacts found in Oluz Höyük, in Turkey

17 October 2022

17 October 2022

During the Oluz Höyük excavations in Amasya, artifacts dating back to the Med Kingdom period were found, dating back to...

Early Anatolian Genes: Genetic Links Between Girmeler Mound and 17,000-Year-Old Pınarbaşı Skeletons

16 April 2025

16 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations at Girmeler Mound, located near the ancient Lycian city of Tlos in southwestern Türkiye, have not only...

A New Picene Prince Tomb Dating to the 7th Century BC with Two Chariots Discovered in Corinaldo, Italy

29 July 2024

29 July 2024

Following the discovery of the so-called ‘Prince of Corinaldo’ in 2018, archaeologists from the University of Bologna have discovered a...

A rare statue of K’awiil, Mayan god of Lighting have uncovered in Mexico

1 May 2023

1 May 2023

In southeastern Mexico, archaeologists uncovered a rare sculpture of a powerful Mayan god near the path of a large-scale rail...

Hannibal’s Italian Ally: 170 Meters of Fortifications and 450 Roman Lead Projectiles Discovered

20 June 2025

20 June 2025

Archaeologists in Ugento, a city in southern Italy that once sided with Hannibal during the Second Punic War, have uncovered...

Archaeologists Uncover 1,100-Year-Old Viking Boat Grave of Woman and Her Dog on Senja Island, Norway

6 June 2025

6 June 2025

In a remarkable archaeological discovery on Norway’s remote Senja Island, experts have unearthed a remarkably well-preserved 1,100-year-old Viking boat grave...

Coins from the World’s Richest Shipwreck Could Confirm the San José Galleon

16 June 2025

16 June 2025

A recent underwater exploration off the coast of Colombia has uncovered compelling new evidence that may confirm the identity of...

The historic Egyptian Palace is being demolished, it may hold a surprise underneath

27 August 2021

27 August 2021

The cause for the evacuation and demolition of the ancient Tawfiq Pasha Andraos Palace, located in the precincts of the...

Underwater Archaeologists discovered World’s Largest and Oldest ancient shipyard on Dana Island, Türkiye

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

The ruins of the world’s largest and oldest ancient shipyard were found in the north of the island of Dana,...

10,500-year-old stone Age Hunter-Gatherer settlement found in England

20 January 2023

20 January 2023

A team of archaeologists from the University of Chester and Manchester has discovered a stone age Hunter-Gatherer settlement during excavations...

Czech Discovery Reveals One of the Largest Celtic Settlements in Central Europe

8 July 2025

8 July 2025

Over 13,000 artifacts, including gold coins and Baltic amber, discovered in one of Central Europe’s largest Celtic settlements. A groundbreaking...

Restored walls collapse in 1500-year-old Shahr-e Belqeys, concerns mount over further damage

12 May 2024

12 May 2024

Recently, a portion of the restored walls of 1500-year-old Shahr-e Belqeys (“City of Belqeys”), a historical city made of mudbricks...

Stonehenge could be a solar calendar, according to a new study

2 March 2022

2 March 2022

A new study posits that the Stonehenge circles served as a calendar that tracks the solar year of 365.25 days,...