Ancient Secrets Unearthed: Seven Infant Remains Found Near Enigmatic Hittite Structure in Turkey
The enigmatic feature, known only as the “Circular Structure,” dates to the second millennium B.C.E., but its exact purpose is still unknown. Archaeologists believe further study of the infant remains may reveal more about the site, including why the children were buried in seemingly intentional deposits that curiously had no clear burial patterns.
The Remains Uncovered At The Uşaklı Höyük Site
Università di PisaArchaeologists dig at the Uşaklı Höyük site, where the ancient children’s remains were found.
The 2025 excavations of the Uşaklı Höyük site expanded the work done in earlier years to unearth the previously identified Circular Structure, according to Università di Pisa, the university that helped organize the recent dig. The archaeologists focused on uncovering new areas of the structure, which dates from the second millennium B.C.E., during Hittite occupation.
While archaeologists found evidence of the Circular Structure being maintained over time, the most notable discovery was the infant human remains at the site. A tooth belonging to an infant was unearthed from the soil covering up one of the Circular Structure’s pavements.
But that wasn’t all. Archaeologists have also found a nearly complete infant skeleton, along with the remains of five other babies. Also uncovered near the remains were animal bones, ash, and ceramic fragments.
“These are not pit graves, but intentional deposits,” Anacleto D’Agostino, the co-director of the archaeological project, explained, according to La Brújula Verde. “The context suggests a differentiated treatment of children in the Hittite world, something not detailed in written sources.”
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