Ancient inscription on statue carved by ‘King Midas’ tribe finally deciphered

A mysterious inscription carved into a free-standing spire of volcanic rock has been deciphered for the first time.

An archaeologist discovered that the 2,600-year-old stone monument known as Arslan Kaya had the word ‘Materan’ inscribed on it, meaning ‘mother goddess’ in ancient Indo-European.

The message was left by the Phrygians, who inhabited the region from about 1200 to 600 BC.

The ancient tribe was also made famous for their legendary King Midas, who was said to turn everything he touched into gold.

The approximately 17.5 meter high monument was carved in the shape of a building facade and engraved with images of lions and sphinxes.

It also features an image of the Mother Goddess standing in the doorway, with the newly deciphered inscription above it.

Arslan Kaya is one of eight similar stone facades in the Phrygian Highlands.

These ornate statues are believed to represent shrines or temples of the mother goddess.

The Phrygians practiced a polytheistic religion, meaning they worshiped multiple gods.

But none was held in higher esteem than the mother goddess known as Cybele.

“The Phrygian Mother is considered a powerful goddess who rules the natural world,” study author Mark Munn, professor of ancient Greek history and archeology at Pennsylvania State University, told me. Newsweek.

Munn visited Arslan Kaya for the first time in April this year and accidentally made an ‘accidental’ discovery.

The timing provided excellent lighting to take clear photos of the inscription so that he can correctly read the mysterious message.

“If the light is not right, these marks are indistinguishable from cracks in the rock,” he said.

‘With my photographs, and by comparing them with the best photographs taken by previous visitors from the 1890s and 1950s, I was able to confirm that the name of the Mother – ‘Materan’ – can certainly be read in the center of the inscription’ , he said. .

“There are still a few letters to read, but not enough to make whole words.”

Although he could not translate the entire inscription, he was able to gather some new information about its grammatical structure.

The word “Materan” is the accusative form of “Mater,” meaning it is likely to be the object of a phrase or sentence that follows what could be a verb, Munn explained.

The newly deciphered inscription is located above the doorway and is decorated with carved sphinxes

If similar to other, better preserved Phrygian inscriptions, it probably gave the name of the person who created Arslan Kaya or dedicated it to the mother goddess.

“The name of the Phrygian Mother can be read on at least two of the other great Phrygian facades, but Arslan Kaya is the only one on which both her name and her image are engraved,” Munn said.

He was also able to provide a more accurate estimate of the monument’s age, confirming that it dates from the early to mid-6th century BC, based on the style of the carvings.

“I didn’t expect to discover anything new, just to see this monument, which is very worn and badly damaged by treasure hunters before being further damaged or destroyed,” Munn said.

When Arslan Kaya was first described in the 1880s, the mysterious inscription was badly worn.

“But luckily I was able to see some details that had not been seen or accurately reported before,” Munn added.

This was not the first time the inscription had been observed and photographed. But earlier scholars had difficulty visualizing it in detail.

While some thought the word ‘Materan’ could be read, others concluded the carved message was unreadable.

Munn’s re-examination of this mysterious inscription has settled a long debate over its meaning, confirming that Arslan Kaya was created in honor of the Phrygian mother goddess.