British archaeologist´s 19th century engraving found on Turkey’s Mount Ida

ÇANAKKALE - Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

A local tourist has discovered names engraved on walls in the cave of Shepherd Paris on Mount Ida in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, thought to belong to 19th century British archaeologist Frank Calvert. 

Calvert is known as the first archaeologist to carry out excavation works at the ancient site of Troy, between 1863 and 1865.

The names scratched on the wall are thought to date back around 170 years, when Calvert and his family possibly visited the region. It is also speculated that Calvert was only 18 years old when he visited the cave in 1846 along with his brothers.

Local man Cemil Darıcı, 28, said he found traces of the engraving while wandering in the region as part of his visit to Mount Ida, where his wife grew up. 

Some written sources from the time also partially confirm that Calvert, the son of a family with seven children, had organized a number of trips to the Çanakkale area and had been hunting on Mount Ida.