Dardanos Tumulus under renewed examination

ÇANAKKALE

The Dardanos Tumulus, uncovered during the construction of a cement factory's water reservoir in 1959, is now under renewed scrutiny by a scientific committee from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ) and various international universities to study its structure and artifacts.

Located in the ancient Troas region, the tumulus is one of the oldest known burial mounds in the area. It consists of three sections: A corridor, an antechamber and the main burial chamber.

During the rescue excavation carried out by archaeologists from the Istanbul Archaeology Museum following its initial discovery, three beds made of sandstone were found in the burial chamber, along with multiple human remains placed through inhumation and cremation methods, as well as various grave offerings.

Artifacts such as wooden furniture, pieces of silk fabric, gold ornaments, figurines, baskets, musical instruments, bronze, ceramic and wooden vessels, oil lamps and objects made of bone, mother-of-pearl and glass were recovered. These finds were initially preserved at the Çanakkale Archaeology Museum and are currently housed at the Troy Museum.

Professor Tuna Şare Ağtürk from Oxford University, who is leading the project, told state-run Anadolu Agency that the Dardanos Tumulus is a highly important archaeological site.

Ağtürk stated that the research is being conducted in collaboration with ÇOMÜ, the Troy Museum and Oxford University.

“This tumulus, excavated in 1959, is very rich in content and can be compared with the UNESCO-listed royal tombs of Gordion-King Midas or Vergina-King Philip. The artifacts recovered from here are now in the Troy Museum. With the support of the Troy Museum, our university rector and the partnership of Oxford University, we have formed a scientific committee with experts from abroad. We are reassessing all the finds. Our team includes scientists from various disciplines: art historians, archaeobotanists, materials scientists, epigraphers and physicists. Together, we are examining the artifacts and the tumulus,” she said.

Ağtürk explained that the research is ongoing both at the Troy Museum and the tumulus site. “After completing the museum and field studies, we plan to publish a book and organize an exhibition titled ‘Dardanos.’ We are reexamining all the artifacts found during the first rescue excavation. This is a monumental tomb used by a prominent family of ancient Dardanos from the fifth century B.C. to the second century A.D. It contained jewelry, ornaments, musical instruments, sculptures, board games, offering vessels and medicine containers," she said.

"These artifacts, when examined with modern scientific methods, provide invaluable information about the culture of the local population. Archaeology has changed because technology has changed. For example, by analyzing the contents of the recovered vessels, we can learn what kind of medicines or cosmetic products were made. One particularly important item is the statue of Aphrodite, which is unique in the world due to its preserved paint and gold details. We are digitally reconstructing this statue, along with the musical instruments and preserved garments. These items could become symbols not only of Dardanos but of Çanakkale as well, because they are so unique,” she added.

Ağtürk emphasized that the artifacts were preserved in situ and have remained in excellent condition. She noted the discovery of organic materials, which are rarely witnessed in archaeology.

“There are fabrics, textile garments, shoes and wooden musical instruments, and we are studying them,” Ağtürk said. “For instance, the shoes, made of wood and leather, belonged to women and are decorated with gold embroidery. We are trying to understand what type of wood and animal leather they used and what production techniques they followed. We are learning how the people living here produced goods, what their fashion was like and what kinds of medicinal or cosmetic materials they made," she said.

"In general, the finds indicate the presence and significance of high-status women who received musical and intellectual education. These discoveries are not only important for Dardanos and Çanakkale, but also provide exciting insights for the entire field of archaeology. In one year, we plan to complete all the studies and share the results through a comprehensive exhibition and a book. Through this research, we hope to transform Dardanos into a prominent site for our university and the Troy Museum,” she added.

Turning Dardanos into a cultural center

ÇOMÜ Rector Professor Cüneyt Erenoğlu stated that the Dardanos Tumulus is a significant archaeological structure located within the university’s premises.

Erenoğlu said the site was discovered and excavated nearly half a century ago. “This is a royal tomb that gave its name to Dardanos. We carried out landscape improvements here one year ago. It was in a very neglected state. With the support of Professor Tuna Şare Ağtürk, we initiated an important project here. The site also carries traces of the Troy civilization, given that it is a royal tomb. Our esteemed academics are conducting the first academic and economic studies and will provide us with a roadmap,” he said.

Professor Sencan Altınoluk of ÇOMÜ’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences also stressed the value of the project.

“This project is extremely important for both Çanakkale and the Troas region. I specialize in numismatics, and I aim to reconstruct the history of Dardanos through coin studies. All the finds are interconnected. Dardanos was one of the earliest cities in the Troas region, and this study will reveal important truths about their relationships,” he said.

Christos Tersiz from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, who is also part of the team, expressed his satisfaction at being involved in the project.

“My expertise is in musical instruments. Very unique instruments have been found here. Among the artifacts, I identified three instruments that appear to be harps. If we can confirm that these are three distinct pieces, we can estimate that there were at least three female burials,” he said.

Professor Maria Stamatopoulou from Oxford University also expressed her pleasure in participating in the study. “The Dardanos Tumulus is significant not only for the Troas region but for the entire Mediterranean Basin. Due to the abundance of organic material, it offers essential insights into how people lived and produced goods,” she said.