Traces of battle that paved way for ancient Persian invasion found

ISTANBUL

Skeletal remains of two soldiers and weapons uncovered during excavations in Sardis, an ancient Lydian city in the western province of Manisa, shed light on a dramatic sixth-century battle that paved the way for a Persian invasion.

The dig team led by Nick Cahill, an art historian at the University of Wisconsin, found signs of injuries from swords or other weapons on the ancient soldiers’ skulls and arm bones.

“One of the soldiers was holding a stone in the palm of his hand, and this is how we dug up the bones,” Cahill said, theorizing that the small stone belonged to a slingshot used during the war.

The two soldiers were thrown between the ruins of brick city walls without being buried, he explained, adding that they are believed to have been defeated by Lydian soldiers due to the way they were found.

"These bones and other artifacts bear traces of Persian rule, which had a significant impact on the history of Western Anatolia, and the destruction caused by the Persians in magnificent cities," he said.

"The soldiers are both male and were around 20-25 years old. Their arm bones are very compressed, and it’s clear that they were wearing something very heavy. We found a heavy iron helmet next to them."

Located in western Anatolia, Sardis was the ancient capital of the Lydian Empire, the originators of gold and silver coins.

The Battle of Thymbra took place in 546 B.C. between Lydian King Croesus and Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire, as a prelude to the Siege of Sardis by the Achaemenid Persians. The battle resulted in the defeat of the Lydians, the fall of Sardis, and the annexation of the Lydians into the Achaemenid Empire.