Sacred Structures Built by Phrygians in 800 BC Unearthed in Turkey

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.

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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.

A Shrine for the Goddess of Nature and Fertility?

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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One of four rock basins carved into the rocky platform. (Anadolu University)

This goddess was one of the most important deities of the Phrygian pantheon. She represented nature and fertility, and since she ruled over the land that the people relied on for their survival, she was a major figure in the Phrygian religion, one who required frequent sacrifices to ensure her blessings.

“The rock bowls and the presence of the idol near them are concrete evidence that this area was sanctified for abundance and fertility rituals,” Dr. Polat stated.

If Matar Kubileya was the prime deity worshipped at the site, this location was likely would have drawn visitors from all over Phrygian territory.

Excavating at a Truly Ancient Site

While much of the attention generated by these excavations has been focused on the Phrygian structures, this was not the only amazing revelation to emerge from the Anadolu University-sponsored excavations. The archaeologists dug through many layers of earth and bedrock covering tremendous expanses of history, and unearthed evidence that suggests the area around the Midas Castle site has been occupied on and off for an astonishing 250,000 years.

“Our surface research revealed stone tools from the Lower Paleolithic period, showing that this area has been a preferred settlement throughout history due to its fertile lands and strategic defensive position,” Polat explained.

The Paleolithic occupants of the region would have been archaic humans, or the ancestors of Homo sapiens. On the other end of the spectrum the archaeologists also found ceramic pieces at the site dating back to Anatolia’s Roman period (to the first or second century AD). This discovery highlights just how long the Midas Valley in northwestern Turkey has been a home to human settlers.

Top image: Ancient structures found during excavations at Midas Castle, a Bronze Age site in Eskisehir, northwestern Turkey. Source: Anadolu University

By Nathan Falde