Bone flute and 4,500-year-old idol head unearthed at Troy

Excavation work at Troy has uncovered a 2,800-year-old bone flute and a 4,500-year-old human-shaped idol head from the Early Bronze Age. Türkiye's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, announced the finds, which were made during excavations carried out by the ministry.

In a statement posted on his NSosyal account, Ersoy said the bone flute, dating to the Archaic period, was found during 2026 excavations conducted under the Future Heritage Project with the ministry's permission and support. He said it is the first and only musical instrument discovered in more than 160 years of excavations at Troy, providing direct archaeological evidence of the city's music culture.

Ersoy said the idol head was found near the Troy II city gate. He added that it would help researchers understand the symbolic world of the Early Bronze Age and cultural interactions in western Anatolia.