4,400-year-old jade cylinder seal discovered at excavation in Turkey

A 4,400-year-old cylinder seal dating back to the Early Bronze Age II period has been unearthed in ongoing excavations at Seyitömer Höyük in Kütahya, Turkey. The dating marks it as the oldest cylinder seal found in Inner Western Anatolia.

Dr. Sevgi Gürdal, head archaeologist at Kütahya Museum, is leading the excavation team. The seal is made from jadeite, a rare and sacred material in some civilizations, with the closest source located in the Harmancık region between Bursa and Kütahya.

The jade cylinder seal features a cylindrical body with a horizontal circular hole and a decorated surface with a lattice motif enclosed by circular borders. Experts believe that the use of jadeite in the seal indicates not only local craftsmanship but also the influence of international trade. "It is an extremely important finding in terms of showing that it was made by being influenced by different cultures internationally and produced with a type of stone in the region," Gürdal emphasized, as reported by Anadolu.

The excavation team found the cylinder seal while lifting an architectural structure from inside the wall. Gürdal said they are conducting studies in the Middle Bronze Age and Early Bronze Age layers at Seyitömer Höyük.

This find is part of the ongoing excavation work at Seyitömer Mound, which has been under excavation for 35 years and is sponsored by Çelikler Holding.

Among other important finds obtained during the excavations are remnants related to ceramic production from the Early Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age. The site's archaeological work has yielded more than 17,000 artifacts, which have been delivered to museums for exhibition, contributing significantly to the understanding of the region's history.

Seyitömer Höyük, dating back to the 3000s BCE, is located 26 kilometers from Kütahya city center, within the working area of Çelikler Seyitömer Electricity Generation AŞ. The original height of the mound is 26 meters, with a width of 140 meters and a length of 150 meters.

Tr. Gürdal recalled that last year, at the ancient city of Troy in Çanakkale, two cylinder seals were found, one made of baked clay and the other of blue feldspar. She noted that the seal from Seyitömer is about 600 years older than those found in Troy. "This example is the oldest cylinder seal in Inner Western Anatolia," she said.

Experts noted that, although rare, green examples of jade stone exist in the Harmancık region, revealing potential links between ancient Anatolian cultures and broader trade networks.

Gürdal pointed out that cylinder seals first appeared in Mesopotamia around the mid-4th millennium and later spread to Anatolia and other regions through trade routes.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq