Church remnants belonging to the Byzantine era have been found in the 3,800-years-old Kayalıpınar ancient city in Sivas, Turkey, which was an important administrative center during the Hittite and Assyria period. The location has been explored since 1960.
“We’ve probably discovered a small Byzantine church. Of course, the church was a religious structure in the Byzantine period, but its proximity to the cemetery will give us important data. No structures belonging to the Byzantine building level have been found here so far. Therefore, the building levels unearthed in the 4 trenches we opened this year will also give us information about the settlement at that time.” Says Assoc. Dr. Çiğdem Maner from Koç University.
“The settlement was established on a natural plateau on the edge of the Kızılırmak and spread over a very large fertile area. Therefore, people belonging to many civilizations and communities lived in this wide area. We are trying to reach and document all their remains.” says Maner.