Iron Age Necropolis Uncovered in Turkey

HASANKEYF, TURKEY—A 3,000-year-old necropolis has been discovered on a steep cliff overlooking the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey by researchers led by Şehmus Genç of the Hasankeyf Museum, according to a Hürriyet Daily News report. The cemetery contains some 150 burial urns, stone-lined cists, and earthen graves, which contained spears, arrowheads, daggers, knives, swords, and cremated human remains. An Assyrian cylinder seal was also recovered, he added, and could offer information about the possible presence of Assyrians in the region. Examination in the lab will help the researchers date the artifacts, Genç concluded. To read about 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets unearthed in Turkey that detail the personal lives of Mesopotamian businesswomen, go to "Assyrian Women of Letters."