Archaeologists have uncovered 11th-century Byzantine ballista bolt heads at the Battle of Manzikert battlefield in eastern Turkey, marking the first discovery of the rare siege weapons at the historic site.
The artifacts were found during this year’s excavation season and provide direct archaeological evidence of the Byzantine siege of Manzikert Castle in the days leading up to the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery, saying the ballista bolt heads belonged to military equipment used by Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes during the siege of Manzikert Castle on Aug. 22 and 23, 1071.
He said the finds help researchers better understand the military operations that took place before the decisive battle between the Byzantine and Seljuk armies.
Historians widely regard the Battle of Manzikert as one of the Byzantine Empire’s greatest military defeats. The battle accelerated the empire’s loss of much of Anatolia and reshaped the political landscape of the eastern Mediterranean for centuries.
Excavations uncover evidence of Byzantine siege warfare
Archaeological research at the Manzikert battlefield began in 2020 with support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums.
The newly discovered bolt heads were unearthed about 500 meters (1,640 feet) southeast of Manzikert’s Inner Castle at the Taşbaşı site, a location identified in historical sources as an important position during the Byzantine siege.
Archaeologists have uncovered 11th-century Byzantine ballista bolt heads at the Battle of Manzikert battlefield. The rare weapons offer new evidence of the Byzantine siege led by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes before the pivotal 1071 battle. pic.twitter.com/X6LaKqClQg
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 29, 2026
Preliminary typological analysis indicates the bolt heads date to the 11th century and were used by the Byzantine military. Ballistas were powerful mechanical siege engines that launched large iron-tipped bolts at enemy fortifications and troops. Researchers said the newly recovered bolt heads provide rare physical evidence of the weapons used during the siege.
The discovery also offers one of the few archaeological links to the military campaign led by Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes before his army confronted the Seljuk forces in the decisive battle.
Taşbaşı emerges as a key military position
Earlier excavations at Taşbaşı uncovered numerous siege arrowheads and a Byzantine coin. Archaeologists said the latest discoveries further confirm the area’s strategic importance during the siege of Manzikert and expand the archaeological record of the military campaign.
Historical sources also identify Taşbaşı as a strategic location during the siege of Manzikert by the Great Seljuk Sultan Tughril Beg in 1054, nearly two decades before the famous battle. Researchers said the growing body of evidence is helping reconstruct the sequence of military events that led to the Seljuk victory in 1071.
Together, the discoveries are providing a clearer picture of Byzantine siege operations in Anatolia during the empire’s final major campaign to retain control of the region.
Minister praises archaeological team
Ersoy thanked the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, the scientific committee, archaeologists, specialists and field teams involved in the project. He also paid tribute to Sultan Alp Arslan, his army and those who fought in the Battle of Manzikert, describing the victory as a historic turning point that opened the gates of Anatolia to the Turks.
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