In 2019, the presenter had the great fortune to be part of an archaeological team that made a remarkable discovery: a hieroglyphic royal inscription authored by Hartapu, a mysterious king from the early first millennium BCE. Named one of the Top 10 Discoveries of the year by Archaeology Magazine, this inscription, which was deciphered by colleagues at the University of Chicago, established the nearby site as a hitherto completely unknown capital city. In the text, Hartapu even claims to have conquered the kingdom of Phrygia (of King Midas fame), which, if true, would make his kingdom one of Iron Age Turkey's most powerful. This session will describe the cultural and historical setting of Turkey during the Iron Age and then present the exciting discoveries that have completely changed our understanding of the geopolitical composition of this time and place.
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