Arrowheads unearthed at Beçin ancient site

MUĞLA

Excavations at the ancient city of Beçin in the Milas district of the western province of Muğla, which is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List, have unearthed arrowheads dating back to the Turkish period.

The archaeological site, where many historical artifacts have been uncovered, is the focus of year-round excavations and restoration efforts carried out under the direction of Professor Kadir Pektaş.

Once the capital of the Menteşe Beylik, Beçin continues to shed light on history with its many ruins.

Pektaş, head of the excavations, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that Beçin was one of the major settlements of the Turkish-Islamic period and that the 2025 excavation and restoration projects are ongoing.

“We have been excavating inside and around the inner fortress,” he said. “In the past two days alone, more than 100 arrowheads have been uncovered during our work on one of the bastions. These arrowheads date back to the Turkish era. It is quite natural to find such weapons in military structures. What makes these finds significant is that they indicate the area was not inhabited after their last use. This gives the discovery great importance in the context of Anatolian Turkish archaeology.”

Pektaş also noted that, when considered alongside Chalcolithic-era graves previously found inside the fortress, the uninterrupted settlement at Beçin spans nearly 5,000 years, making every find from the area crucial.

Excavation work will also begin around the inner castle’s graves and bathhouse, Pektaş said, adding: “These arrowheads are newly unearthed and have not yet been cleaned or processed in the lab, but from what we can see, we recovered socketed arrowheads. Excavations are also ongoing in a section we previously identified as the Persian Tower. In the cave-like area behind a later-built wall, which we recently demolished, we uncovered artifacts dating back to the sixth century B.C. These findings provide valuable insight into the archaeological history of Beçin and its surroundings.”

Historical records state that the fortress at the ancient city, located about five kilometers from the Milas town center on the Milas-Ören road, was built during the Byzantine period using stones from nearby ancient structures.

The fortress was reportedly repaired and reused during the reign of the Menteşe Beylik, which ruled the region in the late medieval period.