A horse skeleton with a bronze gem in its mouth was found in the necropolis north of Çavuştepe Castle dating back to the Urartian period in Van.
Archaeological excavations are being carried out in Çavuştepe Castle, built by Urartu King Sarduri II around 750 BC, and in the necropolis area in the northern part.
Interesting findings are emerging in the excavations carried out under the direction of Prof. Dr. Rafet Çavuşoğlu in Çavuştepe Castle in Gürpınar district of Van and the necropolis area in the north.
During the 2023 excavation season, a horse skeleton with a bronze gem (a metal piece inserted into the mouth of a mounted animal to guide it) was unearthed near the grave of an Urartian ruler buried last year with four horses, dogs, cattle and sheep.
The ring-shaped gem, left in the jaw of a horse, was made of bronze.
Prof. Dr. Rafet Çavuşoğlu from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University said that this is the first time they have encountered something like this and that the find is very important for Urartian archaeology.
“We have previously found similar rings on human skeletons as pazubents and bracelets. This new find is larger in size and placed in the center of the horse’s mouth. We guess that the owner used it to control the animal more easily. For the first time in Urartian history, we come across a ring-shaped gem. It shows us that horses had a very important place in Urartian society. The finds reveal that this place belonged to a ruling class.”
Archaeologists say that the horse’s skull and jaws have survived intact and that the horse was an adult.
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