Die Ausgrabungen in Boğazköy-Ḫattuša 2024

Excavations and 3D surveys on the north-western slope of Büyükkale (BK-NWH), on the northern terrace of Büyükkale and the western slope of the Upper City have yielded significant results relating to the Hittite, the Iron Age and the Hellenistic-Galatian periods. The discovery of a monumental building on the BK-NWH, a connecting building between the upper courtyard and Building E on the Büyükkale and another large building on the western slope of the Upper City, contributes to a more profound understanding of Hittite urban structures. The discovery of a necropolis from the Old Hittite period on the west side of the city in the area of the Upper West Gate was a particular surprise. The Iron Age structures investigated on the BK-NWH and the Büyükkale plateau provide a more general impression of the dynamic development during the first half of the 1ˢᵗ millennium B.C. and show how a rural settlement morphed into a complex, probably urban structure. For the first time, the structural development of the settlement can be documented for the Hellenistic-Galatian period, closing a crucial gap in the site’s cultural history. This research is complemented by the analysis of the Iron Age small finds from the excavations in the Upper City from 1988–1992, which for the first time provide a complete picture of the material culture of this period.