Posted on 10/21/2015 1:33:31 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The excavation of a mountain castle in central Turkey has revealed a secret tunnel, built by the Hittites around 4,000 years ago. Geval Castle, on Takkel Mountain in Central Anatolia, sits over 5,500 feet above sea level and once offered a strategic 360-degree vantage point for a population that regularly faced assaults from the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Thracians throughout their history. As a result, Hittites were master underground builders, although the exciting discoveries at Takkel Mountain appear to be the first of their kind.
"We have discovered secret tunnels in the castle. We have cleaned there and revealed a [328-foot to 492-foot] part of the tunnel. We believe that it is almost [984 feet long]. This tunnel becomes integrated with the cistern [...] This tunnel is connected to the cistern through a secret way," Necmettin Erbakan University History of Arts Prof. Ahmet Çaycı told Hurriyet Daily News.
Gevale Castle has many such cisterns, which were used to supply water to the fortress. Researchers can make assumptions about the population of the area by measuring the sizes of the cisterns and calculating how many people lived at the castle based on the available water supply. However, the tunnel notably established a connection with the outside world. "It is closed with a vault that looks like part of the land," Çaycı said. "But when you go deeper, you understand that it is a tunnel."
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...
One of *those* topics. Interesting, a water-gathering technology familiar from Thebes, Jerusalem, etc etc.
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Starbuck’s . . .
...bunch of big mouthed archaeologists cannot shut up about anything!
It reminds me of the old saying: Two archaeologists can keep a secret -- as long as both of them are dead.
“Geval Castle, on Takkel Mountain in Central Anatolia”
Cleverly disguised as a big pile of dirt.
It’s about 4,000 years old.
Eloi on the surface castle and Morlochs in the cave Or just that the Hittites were Troglodytes at heart?
They know where all the bodies are buried.
“Its about 4,000 years old.”
When I’m 4,000 years old, a pile of dirt is all I’ll be, too.
That’s a castle? Looks like a hill.
Thats a castle? Looks like a hill.
Probably used Mud Brick
Actually it looks a lot like the Roman hill forts in Britain. I climbed one while in Wales in 2008.
I blame Gozer.
Who you gonna call???
Hobbits would love it!
Rock-hewn cisterns unearthed at Geval Castle, Turkey. Credit: Selcuklu
My daughter loves to do that sort of thing. She visited England a couple of years ago and she loved it immensely. Me? I’d probably lose my balance and roll all the way to the bottom of the hill/castle.
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