This year, the Cavuştepe castle excavations and the necropolis excavations are ongoing. In the necropolis, two brand-new tombs from the Urartian era were discovered. The graves provide evidence of the Urartians’ usage of various types of burial.
The palace was constructed in the 7th century BC and contained a temple, king’s tower, workshops, storehouses, cisterns, and even a harem. It was erected during the reign of King Sarduri II, who ruled from 764 to 735 BC.
Archaeological research at avuştepe Castle and the necropolis surrounding the castle are still being conducted under the direction of professor Rafet avuşolu of the Van Yüzüncü Yl University’s (YYÜ) Faculty of Letters Archaeology Department.
The two recently discovered burials in these locations reveal details about the Urartians’ burial customs and way of life. One of them belongs to an adult, while the other is a child’s tomb.
A general view from the Çavuştepe Castle, Van, eastern Turkey. (AA Photo)
Archaeologists found that in the graves they studied, the deceased’s priceless grave items were not present, and their bones were in a different location.
According to professor Rafet Avuşolu, the head of the excavation, their primary focus is on the preservation and safeguarding of the land.
Since 2017, archaeologists have been working in the castle’s necropolis region, and according to the professor, they have discovered some crucial information about Urartian burial customs and archaeology there.
In this type, the dead bodies are buried near a platform. Photo: AA
Avuşolu added, “Previously, there were cist graves, chamber tombs, regular burials that are buried in the ground, and urn tombs in the necropolis region. However, the most recent graves have given us fresh knowledge about the burial practices of the Urartians. Now, we are dealing with a different kind of tomb. In this kind, the corpses are interred close to a platform.
Photo: AA
“We frequently discovered personal items in the graves at this location. However, the most recent adult tomb was empty and the body was discovered in a mixed condition. For instance, we discovered the corpse’s head next to its feet. This suggests that it was obliterated. We believe that someone broke open the tomb to steal the jewelry.
Source: arkeonews.net
