Archaeologists working to identify the battlefield of the 1071 Battle of Manzikert – a battle that paved the way for Turkish settlement in Anatolia – have uncovered arrowheads during excavations at a site believed to be a Seljuk-era burial ground.
Located in Muş in eastern Türkiye, the Manzikert excavation began in 2020 with support from Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and Museums. The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Ahlat Museum Directorate and Muş Alparslan University and is now in its seventh field season.
A 44-member team of archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians and historians from multiple universities is working under the scientific direction of professor Adnan Çevik of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, searching for physical evidence linked to the historic battle.
Researchers are focusing on an area in the Afşin neighborhood, about 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) from the district center, where a site believed to be a Seljuk burial ground – possibly a “martyrs’ cemetery” – is located. Excavations have begun on 18 additional graves in the area.
Çevik told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the project has now reached its seventh year and continues to refine the location and scope of the battlefield.
“We are trying to reconstruct not only Aug. 26, but the entire sequence of events between Aug. 22 and 28,” he said, referring to the broader timeline of the battle. “We have completed surface clearing and begun excavations. We are working in what we believe is a Seljuk cemetery, possibly containing soldiers who died in the battle.”
He said radiocarbon dating from previous seasons places remains from the site in the 11th and 12th centuries, consistent with the period of the battle.
So far, about 52 graves have been excavated, with plans to reach a total of 100. The team has used ground-penetrating radar and other geophysical methods to map underground structures and guide excavation work, focusing on selected areas rather than digging broadly across the site.
“This year we identified three target areas, and we started excavations in the first one,” Çevik said. “We have identified about 18 graves in that section and will continue down to the burial covers.”
He said war archaeology typically relies on two key types of evidence: military artifacts and human remains found in the same context.
“Until now, we had not found metal objects linked to the battle,” he said. “This year, the most significant development is the discovery of arrowheads from the period. This is very important for us.”
He added that the graves, including those of women, consistently date to the 11th and 12th centuries based on radiocarbon results. Burial cover stones have been found at depths ranging from 80 centimeters to 1 meter (2.6 to 3.3 feet).
Çevik said the site is likely a Muslim cemetery overlooking the battlefield and located near the Çivikan stream, matching descriptions found in historical sources.
“The consistent dating over several seasons suggests this may be a martyr cemetery connected to the battle,” he said. “We also believe early Turkish-Islamic settlement in the region may have begun in this area, and we are working to support that with archaeological evidence.”
