Nearly 2,000 fossils discovered in central Turkey

By Abdullah Yildiz

KIRSEHIR, Turkey (AA) - Nearly 2,000 animal fossils were discovered in Turkey's central Anatolian province of Kirsehir.

Archaeological excavations began in 2011 in Kurutlu village of Kirsehir's Kaman district, with the goal of researching the natural history of 7 million years ago.

The fossils belonging to elephants, primates, giraffes, horses, rhinos, cats and monkeys, were found during digs on the side of the Hirfanli Dam Lake.

The excavations are supported by Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry, Ahi Evran University (AEU), Turkish Historical Society and are being continued as council of ministers excavation under Ahmet Cem Erkman, an academic from AEU.

"We are planning to exhibit the fossils at a museum in Kirsehir,” Erkman said. “We keep working. This is a long-lasting excavation," he said and added that the importance of the findings will shed light on the natural history of Anatolia.

New findings can make contributions to books in the archaeological field, as part of Paleontology, he said.

*Writing by Burak Bir