Excavations at the prominent mound of Uşaklı Höyük on the central Anatolian plateau have produced finds that may rewrite the known history of Hitтιтe ritual life. In the eighteenth season of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Central Anatolia, led by University of Pisa professor Anacleto D’Agostino in partnership with Turkish and British scholars, researchers discovered the remains of at least seven infants arranged around a monumental stone structure whose purpose had long stumped experts.

A floor covered in ash in Area K. Credit: Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa

The find, which the team has appropriately dubbed the “Circle of Lost Children,” consists of partial and nearly complete skeletons, a remarkably well-preserved infant tooth, and delicate newborn remains. Unlike traditional burials in the ancient Near East, these were not placed in pits or jars. Instead, the bones were discovered in ash layers, with animal bones and ceramic pieces, which point towards ritual rather than funerary contexts.

Remains were uncovered along with the so-called Circular Structure, which was first discovered in 2021. Built from meticulously arranged stones on a terrace north of the citadel, this enigmatic structure has long been a subject of debate regarding its purpose. Recent excavations revealed successive phases of use and repaving, emphasizing its long-held sacred status.

Uşaklı Höyük, the mound and terrace viewed from the north. Area F with the Circular Structure is visible at the bottom, while Area A with the large Building II appears at the top. Credit: Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa

The atypical arrangement has been compared to Phoenician and Punic tophets—sanctified spaces into which babies were deposited—though no urns were found at Uşaklı. The researchers said that while in the Near East infant burials took place under houses or in jars, this context is different and points to a distinctive ritual sphere. Many scholars now suspect the building to have been a sanctuary of the Storm God, the central god of Hitтιтe religion. This interpretation is consistent with records of the ancient holy city of Zippalanda, which many researchers link to Uşaklı Höyük.

Animal remains recovered from a large late-period pit in Area F. Credit: Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa

The discovery is of scientific interest apart from its ritual relevance. The infant tooth, which is now being examined by the Human_Genome Laboratory in Ankara at Hacettepe University, might provide radiocarbon dating and genetic data on the Hitтιтe population.

Faunal remains of horses, donkeys, deer, and cattle were also found through excavations, most likely connected with sacrificial ceremonies. Researchers noted that ceramic residues show evidence of meat and cereal consumption, indicating banquets or ritual feasts. Together with the infant burial deposits, these findings indicate that ceremonies were connected with death, fertility, and divine appeasement.

Students, workers, and archaeologists during the early stages of excavating a new square in Area F. Credit: Uşaklı Höyük Archaeological Project / University of Pisa

Outside the ritual space, acropolis excavation revealed occupation layers spanning the Iron Age to the Hellenistic era, along with destructive evidence ᴀssociated with mid-first millennium BCE upheavals. A medieval necropolis on the lower terrace contained family graves that might shed light on the demographic impacts of the 1071 CE Battle of Manzikert.

Scholars have argued for years that Uşaklı Höyük was actually Zippalanda, a Hitтιтe cult center where kings made pilgrimages to worship the Storm God. Findings such as the monumental granite structures, a fragment of a cuneiform tablet, and now the “Circle of Lost Children” reinforce that identification.

More information: Università di Pisa