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In Yozgat’s Sorgun district, an archaeological site believed to date back 3,200 years has come under threat from treasure hunters carrying out unauthorized digs.
Located within the boundaries of Karakiz town, the site is thought to have once served as a Hittite stone workshop.
Among the most striking remains is a basalt lion statue that has stood as an open-air monument and drawn the attention of visitors.
Local leaders emphasize the site’s importance. Karakiz neighborhood headman Nazim Gedik explained that archaeologists identified the area as a Hittite sculpture workshop.
He noted that the village has two lion statues, one positioned in the settlement and another found in the mountains.
He also stressed that this heritage should be preserved and presented like an open-air museum, pointing out that more undiscovered remains may still lie beneath the ground.
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The basalt lion statue, positioned in a wooded area, has been repeatedly targeted by illegal excavations.
Gedik expressed his concern, saying, “This lion used to stand upright, but those digging illegally dug under it, and it rolled down. The statue once stood intact, but now it is damaged.
If it could be placed in the village museum or brought together with the other lion, it would be protected for the future. At the moment, it is slowly vanishing before our eyes.”
The problem extends beyond heritage loss. Gedik underlined that the holes left behind after the illegal digs pose a danger to both people and animals grazing in the area.
“If a living creature falls into these pits, it cannot get out,” he warned.
He also appealed for stronger measures to prevent further destruction, insisting that proper protection would both safeguard the site and promote the cultural identity of the region.
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