KAYSERI, TÜRKİYE — SEPT. 10, 2025: Three elephant skulls dating back 7.7 million years have been discovered in excavations in Kayseri, central Türkiye.

The digs, launched in 2018 following a report from a local goat herder in 2017 near the Yamula Dam, continue under the supervision of the Kayseri Museum Directorate and with the sponsorship of the city of Kayseri.

Located in the Kocasinan district along the Kizilirmak River, the excavation site has revealed a diverse range of fossils, including remains of prehistoric giraffes, elephants, mammoths, rhinoceroses, three-toed horses (before they fused into the modern hoof), hornless sheep known as bovids, goats, antelopes, turtles, and pigs.

Archaeologist Omer Dag told Anadolu that his team has been excavating around the dam, with this year yielding mostly elephant fossils.

Dag said that since excavations began in 2018, they had found two skulls, but in just one season that year they had discovered three. He added that although the tusks were somewhat damaged, one skull had been found with its lower jaw intact.

Radiometric analysis dated the excavation sites in Kayseri to around 7.7 million years, with most elephant fossils found in the Cevril area.

Dag said that the season had been exceptionally rich in elephant finds, noting that the fossils were uncovered at intervals of 100 to 300 meters (328–984 feet).