The Ancient City of Beçin in the Milas district of Muğla was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012, within the scope of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
In the ancient city of Beçin, where excavations and archaeological works have been carried out for 12 months by the decision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the excavation directorship was carried out by Prof. Dr. Kadir Pektas, from the Faculty of Letters, Department of Art History of our university.
The historical artifacts unearthed in the excavations in Beçin Castle, where the works in the ancient city were carried out meticulously, excite everyone. A very rare find was found during the excavations carried out in the castle this year. Among the ceramics and small finds during the studies carried out in the inner castle, a Kilia type idol head known in the literature as ‘Star Warrior’ or ‘Star Hunter’ was found.
According to the information given by Prof. Dr. Kadir Pektaş, the Star Warrior Figurine is an example dating back to 3000-3500 BC and very rarely found in excavations. About 30 examples of the figurine, which is thought to have been used for worship, are known in the world. These statues are located in the Aegean Islands and Western Anatolia. It is also very valuable because it is the first example to be found in the ancient city and region. In this respect, it is a work that gives important clues for the early periods of this region. It is presumed that it was used for religious purposes. It is not fully known whether the head and body part was separated during worship or whether it was made for another purpose.
We congratulate our faculty member and wish him continued success.
