200 artifacts found in hunt for Manzikert battlefield

MUŞ

In their quest to pinpoint the site of the 1071 Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt), a defining clash that ushered in Turkish rule over Anatolia, researchers have unearthed nearly 200 exquisite metal artifacts, including arrowheads, coins, rings, horseshoe nails and seals.

Now in its sixth year, the archaeological project’s summer phase began in the eastern city of Muş on July 1 with 40 experts from 12 universities.

The fieldwork is focused on an area about 7 kilometers from the district of Malazgirt, where researchers believe the battle took place.

Experts narrow down the potential site by combining archaeological surveys, surface collection and geophysical methods across a 150-kilometer area.

Professor Dr. Adnan Çevik, a historian and the project’s scientific adviser, stated that researchers are working in a zone believed to be directly linked to the course of the battle.

“We are carrying out interdisciplinary research to locate where the battle actually took place,” Çevik said.

According to Çevik, the latest finds support the theory that they are working in the correct location.

“We’ve recovered around 200 metal objects, many of which we believe are directly related to the battle,” he said. “The nature of the arrowheads, in particular, helps us understand what kind of military units fought in this area.”

All artifacts are being documented with GPS coordinates and photographs and recorded into a digital database.

Once cataloged and cleaned, the items are added to the official inventory and later transferred to a museum.

Çevik noted that this phase of the project has been particularly productive and that researchers are close to pinpointing the exact battlefield.

The Battle of Manzikert was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks, led by Alp Arslan. The Seljuk victory is widely considered a watershed moment in Turkish and Islamic history.