Hattusa excavations reveal Assyrian-era storage and ancient graves

Archaeological excavations at the Hattusa Ancient City in Çorum, Turkey, have yielded significant new discoveries spanning multiple historical eras. Led by the German Archaeological Institute under Professor Andreas Schachner, researchers have uncovered a storage and trade center dating back to the Assyrian Trade Colonies period, approximately 1800–1750 BCE.

In the northwest slope of the Büyükkale area, 16 large storage jars were found within a terraced building used for stockpiling agricultural products during the Middle Bronze Age. This discovery provides insight into the pre-Hittite period when the settlement was known as ‘Hattuş’.

Additionally, excavations have revealed three new graves from the Early Hellenistic and Galat periods, dating between the late 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. These findings bring the total number of identified graves in this specific area to 17. One notable grave features a well-preserved stone circle and an intact skeleton with a knife positioned near the right shoulder, though its exact purpose remains under investigation.