Kültepe excavation marks 78th year with a multinational research team

Archaeological work at Kültepe (ancient Kanis‑Karum) in Kayseri, Turkey, entered its 78th year in 2024. The project is backed by Kayseri Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Memduh Büyükkılıç and led by Prof. Dr. Fikri Kulakoğlu. Researchers from several Turkish universities collaborate with experts from South Korea, Italy and France, continuing the site's long tradition of international scholarship.

The site, a UNESCO tentative World Heritage location, has yielded more than 23,000 cuneiform tablets, one of the world’s largest collections, illuminating early trade and writing in Anatolia. Ongoing efforts also include the construction of a new museum, a visitor centre and a reconstructed “Assyrian Merchants’ Street” to enhance public access.

These activities sustain Kültepe’s role as a key centre for studying ancient Near Eastern commerce and the spread of writing to the Anatolian plateau.