Researchers working at the believed site of the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071 in which Turks defeated the Byzantine Empire and entered Anatolia, have began the fourth year of archaeological excavations and are working at what is considered to be the "Seljuk Cemetery" or "Seljuk Headquarters."
Excavations continue within the scope of the "Detection of the Battlefield of Malazgirt, Historical and Archaeological Survey" project, which was implemented in 2020 with the cooperation of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, Ahlat Museum, Muş Alparslan University and Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In the district of Malazgirt, 40 academics from 12 universities are working on the area they have determined this year to locate the area where the war took place in 1071.
Academics unearthed five graves in Afşin Village, which is considered to be the "Seljuk Cemetery" or "Seljuk Headquarters."
Adnan Çevik lecturer at the Department of History of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, who was the scientific advisor to the excavation told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the excavations were in their fourth year.
"Excavations have started in Afşin village. Afşin village is important. It is at an altitude of about 1,600 meters (5,250 feet). It is in the middle of the area we consider as the battlefield. This is an area that may have been the headquarters of the Seljuks. What brought us here is the geostrategic location of the war," Çevik said.
"The bone analyzes and carbon-14 results we obtained from the excavation here during a low elevation survey two years ago, gave the date of the 11th century. We carried out a more comprehensive and more systematic study here last year."
Çevik stated that they were intensifying their work in the excavation area in Afşin village on the possibility that it may be the Seljuk headquarters during the Battle of Manzikert.
"We will continue this work until September. There are many finds that we think belong to the war. These (finds) now have reached 400... Four of the five graves here date directly to the 11th century."
