Discovery of Ancient Lydian Palace in Türkiye

Discovery of Ancient Lydian Palace in Türkiye
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Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 2,800-year-old Lydian palace in the ancient city of Sardis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Türkiye, Anadolu Agency reported. The palace, which dates back to the 8th century B.C., was found about eight meters underground, beneath layers from the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.

The finding is significant as it challenges the historical belief that the Lydians only began urbanizing in the 7th century B.C. According to Nicholas Cahill, an archaeologist from the University of Wisconsin who leads the excavations, the discovery proves that Sardis was already a major monumental city in the 8th century B.C.

The palace’s stone walls are 1.5 to 2 meters thick and more than 6 meters high. Among the artifacts found at the site are bronze arrowheads and nine of the world’s oldest known silver coins, which date to the early 6th century B.C.