Most Recent Archaeological Find in Turkey Considered 'Biggest Discovery'

Archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a late warrior in the Silivri district in Istanbul and they say that it is the biggest and most important discovery of the year. 

It is the oldest "kurgan" type tomb to be discovered in the country, and is also archaeologically significant because it was found fully intact, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

A kurgan is a circular burial mound constructed over a pit grave that often contains grave vessels, weapons, and bodies of horses as well as a single human body.

This kurgan holds what is believed to be a highly regarded warrior dating back 5,000 years during the Bronze Age. 

"It is a very important discovery," Professor Mehmet Ozdogan told Hurriyet.

Ozdogan, a professor of prehistoric archeaology at Istanbul University, says most kurgan tombs have been destroyed in the area.

"I believe scientific examinations will lead to interesting results," he said.

The excavation report is expected to provide new information about the history of Istanbul and Thrace.

This type of grave was considered holy in Turkic and Altay culture and the warrior found in the tomb was buried with gifts believed to be for the afterlife as well as his horses and arrowheads. 

There have been a number of other tombs discovered in Turkey, including the possible uncovering of the Tomb of Philip--one of Jesus' 12 apostles.

It was found in the city of Pamukkale in southwest Turkey in 2011. 

The tomb was discovered by a group of Italian archaeologists, including Francesco D'Andria, director of the Institute of Archaeological Heritage, Monuments and Sites in Italy.

"It was believed that the tomb of St. Philip was on Martyrs' Hill, but we found no traces of him in that area," D'Andria told Discovery News in 2011. "The tomb emerged as we excavated a fifth century church 40 meters away from the church dedicated to the saint on Martyrs' Hill."

"With close examination, we determined that the grave had been moved from its previous location in the St. Philip Church to this new church in the fifth century, during the Byzantine era," he added. 

Earlier this year, archaeologists also discovered a fifth century underground church in the country's Cappadocia region that includes images of Jesus' ascension. 

Hasan Unver, mayor of Neveshir, told Hurriyet in February that the church proves to be a miraculous discovery as it contains nearly intact frescoes.

"This place is even bigger than the other historical churches in Cappadocia. It was built underground and has original frescoes that have survived to this day," he said.