Hellenistic mosaic structure unearthed at Kültepe-Kaniş

KAYSERİ

During the second season of work this year, researchers uncovered the mosaic-floored structure alongside four successive Hellenistic cultural layers.

A mosaic-floored structure dating back more than 2,000 years has been unearthed at the Kültepe-Kaniş archaeological site in the central province of Kayseri, marking a first in the site’s 78-year excavation history.

The discovery was made during joint excavations conducted by the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, Ankara University and South Korea’s National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. The team also found four successive Hellenistic cultural layers in the same area, shedding light on a lesser-known period in the history of the ancient settlement.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery on social media, describing it as a valuable result of scientific and cultural cooperation between Türkiye and South Korea.

Joint excavations began in 2025 east of the Warshama Palace under a memorandum of understanding between the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Ankara University and South Korea’s National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, affiliated with the country’s cultural heritage authorities.

During the second season of work this year, researchers uncovered the mosaic-floored structure alongside four successive Hellenistic cultural layers. The structure dates to the Hellenistic period, spanning 323 to 30 B.C.

The surviving section of the mosaic measures 163 centimeters from east to west and 165 centimeters from north to south. Additional fragments found around the structure suggest that the original mosaic extended across a larger area.

Researchers also identified details of the floor’s construction. After the ground was leveled, a foundation of crushed stone and fine soil was prepared, followed by a layer of small river pebbles. Ceramic fragments, lime and other materials were also used in the flooring.

The four cultural layers will enable researchers to trace changes in the settlement’s architecture and use over time, helping establish a more detailed chronology of Kültepe during the Hellenistic period. Research at the site has largely focused on the Bronze Age, leaving comparatively less information about its later history.

A major center of ancient Anatolia

Kültepe-Kaniş was an important political, economic and cultural center from the third millennium B.C. through the Roman period. Before the rise of the Hittite Empire, the settlement served as the capital of the Kingdom of Kaniş, also known as Neşa, and is considered one of the principal centers associated with the emergence of Hittite culture.

The settlement’s Upper City contained royal palaces and temples, while its Lower City included a karum, a commercial district and residential area associated with ancient trade.

Kültepe is particularly known for its records of trade between Assyrian and Anatolian merchants. Approximately 23,500 cuneiform clay tablets discovered at the site are included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

Kültepe was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List in 2014, but only about 5 percent of the entire site has been excavated so far.

Researchers plan to continue systematic investigations in deeper archaeological layers containing remains from the Kingdom of Kaniş and the Hittite period. The joint project aims to expand scientific knowledge of the settlement’s different historical periods and strengthen academic cooperation between Türkiye and South Korea in cultural heritage research.