Archaeologists re-write history after discovering children's remains around ancient monument

Archaeologists in Turkey may have just re-written history, after making an alarming discovery they have called the Circle of Lost Children.

A team of researchers were excavating the prominent mound of Uşaklı Höyük in central Turkey when they found the partial and complete remains of infants and newborn babies.

Among them, was an incredibly well preserved infant tooth and at least seven nearly complete skeletons, however they were discovered mixed with layers of ash, animal bones and ceramic pieces.

According to University of Pisa professor Anacleto D’Agostino, who led the 18th season of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Central Anatolia, the evidence suggests the infants were buried as some kind of ritual, rather than a traditional funerary burial.

The discovery was made at Uşaklı Höyük in central Turkey (Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa)

The remains were discovered on a circular structure which was first uncovered back in 2021, and recent excavations of the structure revealed it had been reused and rebuilt many times over a long period of time, suggesting it had a sacred or holy use.

Researchers noted that the positioning of the remains were unusual, particularly compared to Phoenicians and Punics as there were no urns. Many experts on ancient history now believe the circular building was a temple for the Storm God, the main god for the Hittites, who lived in ancient Turkey during the Bronze Age.

The team excavated a new area (Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa)

If this is the case, which is likely given it matches the records of the ancient holy city of Zippalanda, the discovery could change ideas about the Hittites and their rituals during this time period.

The infant tooth is now being examined by the Human_Genome Laboratory in Ankara at Hacettepe University and its hoped the results will be able to shed light on the genetic data of the ancient community who lived around 1650 to 1200 years BCE.

During the excavation, the team also found the remains of animals, including donkeys, horses, deer and cattle, thought to be part of sacrificial ceremonies.

The ceramic pieces also show evidence of eating meat. Both of these factors, together with the infant remains, suggest ceremonies related to death, fertility and divine appeasement.

At least seven infants' remains were found (Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa)

Over the years, many scientists have made the argument that Uşaklı Höyük was actually Zippalanda, a holy city and centre for Storm God, where kings and priests made pilgrimages to perform their rituals, sacrifices and festivals.

The discovery of the Circle of Lost Children and the ritual evidence go one step further to being able to prove this point.