The discovery of a lost ancient kingdom, tentatively named Evopolis, in Turkey has emerged from the finding of a stone with inscriptions in Luwian, an ancient language of the Indo-European family. Researchers from the University of Chicago uncovered this site at Türkmen-Karahöyük, a significant Bronze and Iron Age settlement. The inscriptions suggest the kingdom may have had historical interactions with Phrygia, ruled by King Midas. Ongoing investigations are planned to explore the site further, with expectations of uncovering palaces and monuments.
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A mysterious stone with strange inscriptions has led to the discovery of a lost ancient kingdom in Turkey – which may have battled Phrygia, a kingdom once ruled by King Midas.
The as-yet-unnamed ancient kingdom was found after a farmer discovered a huge stone containing a message from an ancient king in an irrigation ditch.
Researchers from the University of Chicago were investigating Türkmen-Karahöyük, a large Bronze and Iron Age mounded settlement occupied between about 3,500 and 100 BC.
A local farmer told the researchers he had found a big stone with strange inscriptions while dredging a nearby irrigation canal the previous winter.
The kingdom is as yet unnamed, but it could reshape the history of the area.
“We had no idea about this kingdom. In a flash, we had profound new information on the Iron Age Middle East,” he added.
The researchers now hope to investigate the area further, and are planning to complete a survey this summer.
Prof Osborne said: “Inside this mound are going to be palaces, monuments, houses. This was a marvelous, incredibly lucky find but it’s just the beginning.”