Alacahöyük

It is located within the settlement of Alaca to the south of the province Qorum. It appears that in the language of the Khatti branch of Scythians who moved down from north the name of the city was "Arna", meaning "the City with a Spring". In fact, the area of Alaca covers the lands where creeks flowing into Kizilirmak spring from. This name later became Arinna. According to the 14 structural layers revealed as a result of the excavations carried out, it is presumed that the city was in use as a settlement since the prehistoric times. Artifacts for daily use and household articles, and metal relics and jewellery such as made of gold, silver and bronze dating to this time as uncovered are on display in the Archeological Museum of Ankara. Relics at the lowermost layer are dated to the stone age where household articles for daily use, spear points and cutting and breaking hunting weapons made of stone and bone were found. The layers on top of this belong to the chalcolithic. iron, copper and bronze ages. A gateway flanked by sphinxes (eads to this layer where there is a temple surrounded by columns made of basalt all around. Here it was found iron storages, iron melting furnaces, golden seals, jugs, pottery and ornaments made of metal and bone. The layers piled on top of this one, in turn, are dated to the ages of the Hittite Empire and the Late Hittite Principalities where 14 Royal Graves and funerary jugs with the articles and jewellery made of gold, silver and copper of the dead inside them were unearthed. From the Phrygian articles and war weapons found on this layer, the age terminated by the Phrygians is obvious. The topmost layer includes the Roman, Pontic and Byzantine remains.