A recent archaeological excavation at Seyitömer Höyük, located 26 kilometers from Kütahya, Turkey, has uncovered a significant artifact: a 4,400-year-old cylinder seal dating to the Early Bronze Age II. This discovery is part of ongoing research led by Dr. Sevgi Gürdal, sponsored by Çelikler Holding and conducted under the auspices of the Kütahya Museum Directorate.
The excavation, which began 35 years ago, focuses on layers from the Middle and Early Bronze Ages, with a team of 25 specialists and 50 workers actively participating since May 2024. Dr. Gürdal noted that cylinder seals first appeared in Mesopotamia around the mid-fourth millennium and later spread through trade routes to Anatolia and beyond.
Gürdal emphasized the importance of the newly found seal, stating that it predates similar finds from the ancient city of Troy by approximately 600 years. Previously, only two cylinder seals from the same era had been discovered in Western Anatolia, both found in Troy last summer.
The newly unearthed seal features a cylindrical body with a horizontal circular perforation and is adorned with a lattice motif between two circular lines. This artifact provides insights into international trade and cultural interactions in the region during the Early Bronze Age.
Research indicates that the seal is made from jadeite, a rare stone in Turkey, which is considered sacred by some civilizations. While jadeite is typically found in the Harmancık region between Bursa and Kütahya, the seal discovered is green, contrasting with the region's usual purple jadeite. Experts suggest that green varieties of jadeite, though rare, may exist in the area.
The excavation at Seyitömer Höyük, which has a history dating back to 3000 BCE, initially began in 1989 to recover 12 million tons of lignite beneath the site. The mound, originally 26 meters high and measuring 140 by 150 meters, has yielded over 17,000 artifacts, which have been transferred to the museum for exhibition. The ongoing rescue excavations have been conducted by the Kütahya Museum Directorate since 2019.