ANKARA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A
joint team of Turkish and U.S. archeologists will start excavating an ancient
Hittite city in southeastern Turkey next month, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on
Sunday.
The excavation of Zincirli Tumulus city, which is
located in Islahiye town of Gaziantep province, will begin on Sept. 1 and David
Schloen, Associate Professor of Chicago University, will head the team, said the
report.
The excavation will last about 10 years and the
archeologists will work for two and a half months every year to bring the
artifacts in Zincirli Tumulus to daylight, Anatolia reported.
Mehmet Onal, Deputy Director of Gaziantep Museum, was
quoted by Anatolia as saying that the ancient city of Zincirli Tumulus was an
important settlement during the late Hittite period.
"Artifacts, expected to be found during the
excavation, will contribute to cultural tourism," said Onal.
Zincirli Tumulus is one of the kingdoms established
by the Hittites in southeastern Anatolia and northern Syria after the Hittite
Empire collapsed in 1,200 B.C. Enditem
