Byzantine balista arrowheads uncovered at Turkey's Manzikert historic battlefield
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the first discovery of 11th‑century Byzantine balista arrowheads at the historic Manzikert (Malazgirt) battlefield. The artifacts were uncovered during archaeological work that began in 2020 with support from the Culture Heritage and Museums General Directorate.
Excavations at the Taşbaşı site, roughly 500 m south‑south‑east of the inner castle, also yielded earlier siege arrowheads and Byzantine coins. Experts identified the balista projectiles as equipment used by Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes during the siege of Malazgirt Castle on 22‑23 August 1071, and note the location's strategic role in the earlier 1054 siege by Seljuk Sultan Tuğrul Bey.
Entities: Byzantine Empire · Manzikert (Malazgirt) battlefield · Mehmet Nuri Ersoy · Romanos IV Diogenes · Taşbaşı archaeological site
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Archaeological work at the site began in 2020 with support from the Culture Heritage and Museums General Directorate. (project_start)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Taşbaşı site also played a strategic role in the 1054 siege by Seljuk Sultan Tuğrul Bey. (historical_context)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The finds were announced by Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. (announcement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Earlier excavations at the site had also yielded many siege arrowheads and Byzantine coins. (previous_findings)
- [● 3 SOURCES] 11th‑century Byzantine balista arrowheads were uncovered at the Malazgirt battle site. (discovery)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The artifacts were discovered at the Taşbaşı location approximately 500 m south‑south‑east of Malazgirt inner castle. (location)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The balista arrowheads belonged to the military equipment used by Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes during the siege of Malazgirt Castle on 22‑23 August 1071. (historical_context)