Ancient volcanic glass find in western Türkiye reveals Bronze Age Aegean trade

Archaeologists excavating a 5,000-year-old settlement in southwestern Türkiye have uncovered volcanic glass from the Greek island of Melos, providing new evidence of overseas connections during the Early Bronze Age. The obsidian was discovered at Çaltılar Mound in Muğla province, about 100 kilometres from the sea.

Connections to the Aegean and Anatolia

The excavation, led by Ayşegül Aykurt of Hacettepe University, focuses on a settlement dating to around 2400 BC. "We recovered chipped stone artefacts made from Melos obsidian. This is important because it demonstrates the settlement's overseas connections," Aykurt said. Researchers also found a Cycladic frying pan fragment and a spool-shaped weight linked to the western Aegean, as well as tools made from central Anatolian obsidian.

Diverse Finds

The team has also uncovered ceramics from the ancient regions of Lycia, Caria, Lydia and Ionia. Aykurt said the diversity of finds does not correspond with the site's architecture, suggesting the settlement may have been inhabited by a group connected to a power that controlled the main source regions of the materials.