The annual archaeological excavations have begun on the 5,500-year-old ancient site of Çadır Höyük in Turkey's Yozgat, which promises to shed light on the rich history of the region.
Yozgat Governor Ziya Polat said that excavations at Çadır Höyük, which literally translates as “Tent Mound,” have been ongoing since 1994, and have started a little late this year.
Polat emphasized the significant historical value to be found in the city. “We need to show our people that this place has value. Therefore, excavation work here needs to be made as soon as possible and it needs to be unearthed,” Polat told Anadolu Agency (AA).
“There is a history here of people who lived 5,500 years ago. We see how rich the underground is in this region, but what's important is revealing that richness,” he said. “I hope we will gain this value for tourism as soon as possible.”
Excavations are being led by associate professor Tevfik Emre Şerifoğlu, who holds a doctorate in Assyriology from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. Şerifoğlu stated that they were conducting excavations with support from the University of Leicester in the U.K. and Turkey's Koç University, where he is a senior research fellow at the university's Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations.
Şerifoğlu said that excavations at the mound, located in the Peyniryemez village of Yozgat's Sorgun district, were carried out by teams from the United States in previous years.
“I started to lead the excavations last year,” Şerifoğlu said, emphasizing the importance that the mound posed for Yozgat as it historically has been a settlement dating back to the Chalcolithic period and continuing through to the Byzantine and Seljuk periods.
“We will carry out both excavation and restoration work here. We will be realizing some projects in order to bring this place into tourism. In the region there are Kerkenes, Kuşaklı Höyük (Girdled Mound) and the Sarıkaya Roman Bath. We want to create a tourism route that includes all of these,” he said.
Şerifoğlu noted that the excavation would last for a month this season.
