Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - Archaeologists excavating at the ancient city Hattusa in Turkey keep making fascinating discoveries. Once the capital of the Hittite empire, the city of Hattusa is today an archaeological site of great importance, providing researchers with valuable historical information about the once powerful and now-extinct Hittite civilization.
A rare 2,500-year-old saw was found at Hattusa. Credit: Kemal Ceylan/AA
Notable for its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples, royal residences, fortifications), the rich ornamentation of the Lions' Gate and the Royal Gate, and the ensemble of rock art at Yazilikaya, Hattusa serves as an open-air museum.
Hattusa was added to the World Heritage List of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1986 due to its well-protected architectural structures and excavation site. It has also held UNESCO’s title of "Memory of the World" since 2001, with its cuneiform scripts representing the oldest known form of Indo-European languages.
During recent excavations at Hattusa, an archaeology team led by Professor Andreas Schachner found a rare 2,500-year-old saw.
According to Professor Dr. Andreas Schachner, it is an important find, and the ancient saw does not differ much from the ones we used today. The iron of the unearthed saw was thicker than that of the contemporary saw, but there are striking similarities with modern tools.
"This shows us that humans do not simply modify working tools," Professor Dr. Schachner said.
The Hittite saw is about 20 centimeters long and was unearthed on the northwestern slope of the large castle area of the ancient city.
Credit: Kemal Ceylan/AA
"This saw was found in a building from the Galatian period in the excavation area. The use of this building corresponds to approximately 2,250 years ago. Normally, finding a saw from this period is a very interesting thing. We did some research.
There are not many examples. We were able to identify a few examples from the later Roman periods. Still, a saw from the 3rd century BC has not yet been seen, at least in Anatolia," Professor Dr. Andreas Schachner told the Anadolu Agency.
"As far as we can tell from the holes on both sides of the saw, we think that it had a semicircular handle. Thus, the carpenter of the period may have used the saw by holding it from the wood and moving it." Professor Dr. Schachner explained.
Credit: Kemal Ceylan/AA
Reminding that a saw more than one meter long from the Hittite period was found during the excavations in the Lower City of Hattusa in the 1970s, Schachner said:
"We are at the intersection of Central Anatolia and the Black Sea Region. We see how important woodworking was in every period, but there are no traces preserved from the trees cut with this saw, or the Hittite saw until today. Therefore, thanks to these works, we can see only a small part of their culture."
See also: More Archaeology News
The number of incredible ancient objects found at Hattusa is countless. Just recently, archaeologists reported having come across a magnificent and unique 2,800-year-old ivory object that may have been part of a wooden box.
Professor Dr. Schachner emphasized the importance of the ancient object by saying: "This work is a unique work for Boğazköy. This is the first time we have encountered such an artifact decorated with such a dense and beautifully crafted scene. Extensive excavations were carried out in Boğazköy, but we have not seen such detailed work.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
