Istanbul Archeology Museum has announced on Monday that they have made the largest archeological discovery of the year by unearthing 'the first and oldest 5,000-year-old tumulus in the country' in the Istanbul's Silivri district, expected to shed light on the history of Istanbul and Thrace.
According to reports, archeologists have found the 5,000-year-old kurgan-type tumulus, which is considered as the first completely excavated tumulus of its kind during a rescue excavation, which started in December 2015 at a summer residence complex in Silivri's Çanta region.
A report submitted in April by the Istanbul Board no. 1 to Protect Cultural Properties has stated that the tumulus belongs to a prominent Bronze-Age soldier or fighter coming from the north, as he was buried with a spearhead.
Moreover, it was stated that treasure hunters had previously dug the tumulus several times before, but were unable to reach the main burial chamber.
Professor Mehmet Özdoğan from Istanbul University's Archeology Department has reportedly said that he has previously studied kurgan-type of graves in the past and such graves had been destroyed in the past. However, he noted that this discovery is a prominent one as it is the oldest of its kind found in Thrace and will shed light on a number of historical questions, after scientific research.
Özdoğan had discovered a kurgan tumulus dating back to 1200 BCE in 1980 during surface explorations in Kırklareli province's Asılbeyli village, located in Eastern Thrace.
Istanbul Archeology Museum has reportedly requested for the area where the grave was found to be officially registered, and for the remains of the grave to be moved to the museum where they can be displayed.
The fate of the tumulus will be decided in line with a decision by the preservation board.
A kurgan is a type of tumulus that is widely found in Eastern European and Central Asian archeology. It is considered as a 'sacred burial' in Turkic and Altaic cultures. The word is originally borrowed from an unidentified Turkic language and means 'fortress' in Turkish.
Kurgans date back to the Copper, Bronze, Iron, Antiquity and Middle Ages and are believed to have affected the culture of neighboring peoples without such burial practices.
Philip II of Macedon, who was the father of Alexander the Great is one of the prominent historical figures buried in a kurgan located in Greece.