The oldest mosaic in the world was discovered in Turkey

The oldest mosaic in the world was discovered in Turkey
The oldest mosaic in the world was discovered in Turkey
Anonim

The artifact is a sidewalk flooring made of colored stones; it was found during excavations about 19 km north of Yozgat, a city in central Turkey. According to scientists, the ancient city of the Hittites was located on this site, inhabiting it from about the 21st to the 16th century BC.

In 2018, during work on the site, a large building with a terrace dating back to the Late Bronze Age was found. Researchers believe that the building served as a temple dedicated to the storm god, a very important Hittite deity. There was an inner courtyard next to this building, and it was in this place that the mosaic was discovered.

Image
Image

Mogzaika in the Hittite city

Image
Image

Aerial view of the excavation area, including the temple of the god and the Bronze Age mosaics (highlighted in yellow).

The platform on which the colored stones are located is a rectangle seven meters long and three meters wide. In total, archaeologists have discovered about three thousand stones of irregular shape. Later mosaics are made of smooth and small stones, but scientists suggest that the surface of the mosaic they found may have been made uneven on purpose so that slippery dirt would not accumulate in this area.

The mosaic is divided into three distinct areas, each containing several triangles. Scientists believe that it was part of a single composition with the temple. The study says the find "is the first evidence of a clearly patterned polychrome mosaic floor." Previously, the oldest mosaic was considered a mosaic found in southern Anatolia and dated to the 9th century BC.

Recommended: