AncientPages.com - The ancient settlement area with the rock tombs, a temple area and a 50-meter-deep water tunnel have been discovered in Erzurum's Dumlu neighborhood, located in eastern Anatolia, Turkey.
Archaeologists say it may belong to the time of the Urartu Kingdom, a powerful Iron Age kingdom located in the vicinity of Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands. It corresponds to the biblical Kingdom of Ararat.
In historical Erzurum’s Dumlu neighborhood, archaeologists have discovered temples, tombs, settlements and a water tunnel belonging to ancient times in the region. Source: Yenisafak.com
Apparently, treasure hunters have already found the site, so researcher and writer Ömer Faruk Kızılkaya, who studies the history and culture of the ancient city of Erzurum, have initiated a large-scale investigation into the area.
One of many interesting discoveries is an ancient water tunnel, which people with ingenious engineering ideas, carved in rocks to meet their water needs 50 meters below the ground.
According to Kızılkaya, the rock tombs, the temple area and the remains in the region may belong to the time of the Urartu Kingdom.
See also:
Mysterious Lost Kingdom Of Urartu And Its Enigmatic History
“This is the place where the funeral ceremonies of kings or people, who are highly respected by the public, were performed. We think there is a tomb here that belongs to either a king, ruler, or religious man,” he said, drawing attention to the rock tombs in the region.
Ancient Urartian settlement in Erzurum, in the area of caves and rock tombs. Source
Kızılkaya also said the upper part of the region should be examined in detail, as he had found remains of a settlement where the king tombs were, adding that the region had been badly damaged by treasure hunters.
“This is an important area belonging to ancient times, a place where a ritual was made. We see the rock tombs. This place should be taken under protection for detailed study,” he said.
Another interesting part of excavations are the rock tombs discovered in the area. Kızılkaya said that it was the place where the funeral processions of - highly regarded people – were specially honored by the rock tombs, which ancient people built for them.
It is believed the place could belong to a king (a ruler) or perhaps any religious person of a higher rank.
Prof. Dr. Haldun Özkan from the Atatürk University Art History Department said just as much as life, death has been important for people since ancient times.
“…With simple classification, there are burial chambers made up of one room and ones with more rooms,” Özkan said, adding that these rocky burial chambers were “used for the dead in the afterlife by cutting the rocky area, smoothing the rocks and processing them.
“Even in ancient times, food was left here as a sacrifice for their beliefs. Traces of the Urartu settlement can often be seen, especially in eastern Anatolia. It is also possible to see similar examples of rock tombs in and around Erzurum.”
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