Turkish archaeologists have unearthed a mass grave containing dozens of children dating back to the 5th century in the ruins of the ancient city of Savatra, located in the central Turkish province of Konya, where important historical discoveries have been made since archaeological excavations began three years ago.
During the excavation work, under the direction of İlker Işık, head of the Cultural Heritage Preservation and Restoration Department at Konya’s Selçuk University, an important find came to light in 2020: an inscription in Greek alphabet containing the word Türkoğlu (‘son of a Turk‘, in the Turkish language), constituting the earliest reference to the word ‘Turk’ discovered to date in Anatolia.
This year, archaeologists’ work led to the discovery of several mosaic floors over an area of 400 square metres, possibly belonging to the site of an early church; as excavations continued in the area, a mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of children, dated in the 5th century AD, came to light.
“In total, we have found 42 skeletons”
“We have found two different types of burial in terms of east-west orientation, consisting of burial chambers and gravestones. We have identified a children’s cemetery, consisting mainly of non-adult individuals, ranging from foetuses to approximately 13-14 years of age. In total, we have found 42 skeletons here,” explained Işık, who highlighted the different burial techniques found.
“For example, we found cases of stacked burials, with up to five skulls in one grave. We don’t know whether this was due to family connections, or due to a continuous use of the burial sites,” said Işık, who stressed that small historical artefacts such as coins, rings or earrings were also found during the excavations.
Referring to the importance of the large mosaic area where the mass grave with dozens of children’s bodies has been discovered, the archaeologist highlighted this finding as “a crucial discovery for Anatolia“. “The presence of such a splendid mosaic area in Konya not only underlines the wealth and grandeur that this region once had, but also constitutes a testament to the historical importance of the city. In light of these discoveries, we want to continue our excavation efforts this year, focusing in particular on the mosaic area, to bring to light new hidden treasures,” the expert explained.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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