Sacred Structures Built by Phrygians in 800 BC Unearthed in Turkey

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Reported by Ancient Origins:

During excavations at Midas Castle, a Bronze Age site in Eskisehir in northwestern Turkey, archaeologists unearthed an astonishing collection of ruins linked to an ancient culture that once reigned supreme in the lands of Anatolia. On a high plateau on the site, they found a set of structures that were built by the Phrygians approximately 2,800 years ago, during the prime years of the Phrygian civilization.

The structures discovered during these digs included several ancient ovens and open hearths, which would have been used to cook sacrificed animals and bake bread consumed in ritual feasts that frequently took place in the first millennium BC. This is a unique and fascinating find, and it helps to prove that the site’s high plateau was reserved for religious worship and ceremonies. 

“For the first time, we identified the presence of hearths and simple stone foundations in front of a Phrygian altar, used for ritual preparations,” said Anadolu University archaeologist and excavation leader Dr. Yusuf Polat, in an interview with the Anadolu Agency.

The plateau where these ruins were excavated had previously been designated as the “Agdistis Sacred Area.” Overall the excavation covered an area of 88 acres (26 hectares) in the Midas Valley, which is best known as the location of the towering Yazılıkaya Monument.

The latter was a giant stone fortress built by the legendary Hittite Empire to provide protection to its capital city of Hattusa. This powerful Anatolian kingdom occupied the region from 1650 to 1180 BC, before the Phrygians arrived.

Remarkably, the latest round of excavations was the first archaeological activity at the site since 1953. While the wait to return to Midas Castle was long, what was discovered more than made up for the long delay.

Based on the nature of the ruins and other clues found at the site, Dr. Polat estimates that the structures date back to the Middle Phrygian period, or to around the seventh or eighth century BC. This was actually near the end of the time when the Phrygians held power in the region, as their authority and influence was usurped by the Cimmerians following the latter’s invasion of Anatolia in 690 BC. The Phrygians had originally entered the territory after the collapse of the Hittite Empire, establishing their own powerful state that endured for five centuries.

In addition to the ovens and hearths, the archaeologists involved in these excavations found something unusual and significant. This was a series of four rock basins carved into the solid bedrock of the Midas Castle plateau, which were installed next to a rock statue that portrayed the Phrygian goddess Matar Kubileya.

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