In the remote hills of Phrygia, researchers have made an important discovery. Professor Mark Munn from Pennsylvania State University has helped to uncover part of an ancient inscription on the Arslan Kaya monument, also known as the “Lion Rock.”
The inscription mentions Materan (Greek Alphabet: Ματεραν), an old name for the Mother Goddess, or the Mother of the Gods. This discovery suggests that the monument dates back to the first half of the 6th century BCE.
Phrygian and Greek language and alphabet
The Phrygian alphabet is almost identical to the early West Greek alphabets, and by the time of the Roman Empire the Phrygian language was expressed in the Greek alphabet.
Evidence of an early separation between Thraco-Armenian and Phrygian from other Paleo-Balkan languages, along with Phrygian’s classification as a centum language and its high frequency of phonetic, morphological, and lexical isoglosses shared with Greek, has led to a consensus that Greek is the closest linguistic relative to Phrygian
Phrygian inscription to the mother of gods
The inscription, though faded and damaged over time, was read with the help of photographs taken at a particular time of day when the light made the text clearer.
The Arslan Kaya monument stands tall in the Phrygian highlands of what is now western Turkey, close to Lake Emre Gölü. This striking rock formation, carved into a volcanic peak about fifteen meters high, showcases a sculpted front with geometric designs.
In a small carved space, remnants of a figure representing the Mother Goddess can still be seen. Just above this figure, at the base of the decorative top, are the faint remains of an inscription that researchers have been studying.
Natural erosion, along with damage from treasure hunters and vandals, has worn away most of the inscription. Exposure to weather over centuries has further faded the surface, while recent acts by treasure seekers using explosives have worsened the damage, even breaking parts of the goddess’s figure in the small carved space.
However, Professor Munn used the mid-morning light, which casts shadows to reveal faint marks, to photograph the letters still visible. He then compared these images with old photographs, some dating as far back as the 19th century.
Inscription having a sequence of letters without any clear pattern
When William Ramsay first discovered the Arslan Kaya monument in 1884, he noted that the inscription appeared to be a sequence of letters without any clear pattern. Later, in the late 1800s, archaeologist Alfred Körte suggested it might spell out “μ.τματεραν,” though he acknowledged this reading was uncertain due to the worn surface.
This guess became the foundation for future studies by experts like Paul Kretschmer and, in the 1980s, researchers Claude Brixhe and Michel Lejeune.
Brixhe and Lejeune argued that only four letters were visible and split them into fragments, suggesting the text was too faded to make sense of. However, Professor Munn challenged this view.
With a series of detailed photographs, he found markings that supported Körte and Kretschmer’s earlier idea, revealing the word “Materan” more clearly, along with other symbols that may serve as dividers between words, a common feature in Phrygian inscriptions.
Professor Munn explains that the word “Materan” is crucial for understanding the monument’s religious significance. In many Phrygian inscriptions, “Materan” refers to the Mother Goddess, a central and protective figure in Phrygian beliefs, also respected in nearby Lydia.
Here, “Materan” appears in a form that suggests it was the focus of the inscription, indicating that the monument may have been a tribute to the goddess, underscoring her significance in the region.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
