The Bronze Age vessel was recovered from an Old Hittite site alongside weaving weights, an obsidian blade fragment, unfinished seals, and staples like wheat, barley, and lentils. Botanically classified as Centaurea tchihatcheffii, the endemic species survives solely in this district and is currently imperiled by urban growth and herbicides. Researchers note that mechanical tillage after seed-setting can actually raise plant density, informing targeted management around Lake Mogan.
Key points
The archaeological discovery officially confirms that the rare plant species has grown in…: The archaeological discovery officially confirms that the rare plant species has grown in the Gölbaşı district since the Bronze Age.
Conservationists have managed fenced reserves and targeted seed collection around Lake Mo…: Conservationists have managed fenced reserves and targeted seed collection around Lake Mogan to protect remaining populations since 2016.
Research demonstrates that mechanical soil tillage conducted after seed-setting helps inc…: Research demonstrates that mechanical soil tillage conducted after seed-setting helps increase the flower's density in the subsequent year.
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Archaeologists working at Külhöyük, a mound in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district, have discovered the oldest known seed remains of Turkey's rare 'love flower' inside a Hittite jug dating back approximately 4,000 years. The discovery, announced by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in September 2026, offers evidence that the distinctive flower has existed in the region since the Bronze Age. However, the plant, known to botanists as *Centaurea tchihatcheffii*, is now critically endangered, and its survival may depend partly on how and when farmers cultivate the fields where it grows.
Locally called 'sevgi çiçeği', the flower is found naturally only in the Gölbaşı area around Ankara, making it an endemic species with a highly restricted geographical range. Turkish conservation authorities classify it as critically endangered. The excavation was directed by Derya Yilmaz Tekin of Ankara University, whose report on the 2024 excavation season provided details about the unusual discovery.
According to Tekin, the jug is a nearly complete piece of coarse pottery with a rounded body. Three small knobs sit on its shoulder, while its handle and rim are broken.…
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