Int’l archaeologists uncovering Kültepe

KAYSERİ

The Kültepe ancient site has yielded more than 23,000 cuneiform tablets.

Archaeologists from Türkiye alongside researchers from South Korea, Italy and France are continuing excavations at the ancient site of Kültepe during the 78th excavation season, as new discoveries shed light on Anatolia’s early history.

The excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List site continue to serve as a major platform for international scientific collaboration.

The archaeological project is led by Professor Fikri Kulakoğlu of Ankara University’s Faculty of Language, History and Geography. Researchers are uncovering new findings while working to preserve and document one of Anatolia’s most significant cultural heritage sites.

Dating back around 6,000 years, Kültepe has yielded more than 23,000 cuneiform tablets, forming one of the world’s largest collections of such texts. The archive was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2015 and is widely described as “the memory of Anatolia.”

South Korean archaeologist Kim Daeyeong of the Republic of Korea’s Cultural Heritage Conservation Institute said he has been participating in fieldwork at Kültepe since 2024 and described each new discovery as an exciting experience.

Archaeologist Michael Campeggi of the University of Milan said working at Kültepe holds special significance for researchers.

Campeggi, who is working in the area known as the Lower Town, said the site is essential for understanding the historical relationship between Anatolia and Mesopotamia.

“This place is extremely important for understanding the connections between Anatolia and Mesopotamia,” he said, adding that it was an honor to work in the same excavation area where Professor Tahsin Özgüç conducted uninterrupted excavations for 57 years between 1948 and his death in 2005.

Construction is also continuing on the Kültepe Museum, which is expected to become one of the world’s notable rock-carved museums. Other projects include the Assyrian Merchants Street, featuring 14 reconstructed houses, and the Kültepe Visitor Center, both intended to enhance visitors’ experience of the site’s historical heritage.