Symbol of eternal life: ancient stele found in Turkey

Near the village of Ormanli in Turkey, on the territory of an ancient cemetery found a stone stele about 2.5 thousand years old. It was discovered by a shepherd who was herding cattle nearby. When he saw the image on the stone, he reported the find to the staff of the local Museum.

Experts examined the artifact, which is 123 cm high and 45 cm wide, and concluded that this figure is the image of taş baba, which translates as "stone father". The monument represented immortality among the ancient Turks. Most often, these figures were installed in cemeteries, some of them were dedicated to the famous dead. In addition, on the surface of the stele, researchers saw the symbol of the elixir, which gives eternal life to the one who drinks it.

In General, such plates with images are not uncommon, but they are not common in Turkey. For example, on the territory of the former Anatolia, this stele is the fourth known find, and it turned out to be the oldest among them.