Archaeologists have discovered an ancient fortress of the Urartu era in Turkey
In the mountains in Southeast Turkey, archaeologists have discovered an ancient fortress, built during the time of the state of Urartu 2800 years ago. They presented fragments of ceramics and fortress walls made of sandstone and limestone as finds, Anadolu agency reports.
The state of Urartu existed in the 9th-6th centuries BC on the territory of the Armenian Highlands and was at a high level of civilization development. Earlier, archaeologists have found in different parts of the ancient state evidence of the existence of ancient fortresses built of large stones. One of the most famous fortifications of this civilization is the Van fortress built in the 9th-7th centuries BC; the length of its walls exceeds two kilometers.
Archaeologists led by Rafet Cavusoglu of Van Yuzyuncu Yil University discovered an ancient fortress built in the mountains at an altitude of about 2,500 meters in the Gyurpinar region of Van province in southeastern Turkey.
According to the stories of archaeologists, the found fortress was built at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, but continued to be actively used in the Middle Ages. In the fortress, researchers dug up a large reservoir 6.5 meters deep, and fragments of ceramics were found in it. Ancient builders used limestone and sandstone in the construction of the fortress, scientists say.
The find is not only of scientific value, but also important from the point of view of tourism and culture, local authorities say.
Earlier it became known that in the Shardara district of the Turkestan region in the south of Kazakhstan, a shepherd found an ancient tombstone – a balbal, dating back to the 1st-3rd centuries AD. Local authorities note that the stone was discovered while grazing livestock in the town of Shekertobe, not far from the Shardara reservoir.
