Bilge Yilmaz Kolancı
The cave has signs of being a sacred place for frigits, but it is not yet known for sure if the temple is linked to a fertility worship.
Archaeologists in Türkiye discovered a 2700 -year -old temple that is believed to have been dedicated to a Frygia Mother Goddessgiving new clues about the ancient civilization that ruled central anatolia. The discovery, made near the modern city of Denizli, in western Turkey, dates back to 800 and 600 BC, when the frigid kingdom was at its peak.
The excavation, led by Bilge Yílmaz Kolancí, professor of archeology at the University of Pamukkale, revealed a SACRED SITE COMPLEX With a frigid rock monument, a sacred cave and two carved rock idols directly on the surrounding stone. The site also contains numerous libation cups and drainage channels, used in old rituals that involved the spill of liquid offerings to the gods.
“The sacred site includes a rocky monument, a sacred cave and twin rock idols Between two structures, ”Kolancí explained, who emphasizes that on -site research is ongoing and complete details have not yet been published.
The frigits, whose most famous king wasThey are known to worship a powerful mother goddess, also called Materan, kill or cibele, which was probably associated with fertility and nature. His worship would later spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, adopted and reinterpreted by Greeks and Romans for centuries after the decline of phrygia.
The images of the excavation show twin edols sculpted in a rock, possibly representing the goddess. According to Lynn Roller, an ancient Mediterranean art professor at the University of California, Davis, the site has strong similarities to other known frigious shrines.
“From the images, the site seems consistent with other frigious sanctuaries,” said Roller. “Double idols are reminiscent of pairs found in the city of Midas and other frigious sites.”
Roller warned, however, that the allegations that connect the temple directly to a fertility or harvesting service They are still speculative. “We have no detailed information about what rites were celebrated for the Goddess Phrygia to kill or exactly what it meant to its worshipers,” he noted.
The location of the discovery, which is in a mountainous area near the old Hierápolis (now Pamukkale), is also Typical of the old frigious sanctuariesadded Roller. The Italian archaeologists working in Hierápolis also discovered evidence of an ancient frigid sanctuary within the ancient city.
Kolanci ensures that detailed report on team discoveries will be published soon.
