News - Archaeologists find inscription of King Antiochus I of Armenian Yervanduni Dynasty, in Turkey

A 2100-year-old inscription has been found in Turkey. "Antiochus of Commagene calls on the people to ‘obey and respect the law," Arkeonews reported. The records were found in 2023 by the inhabitants of a Turkish village. They reported it to the Adiyaman Museum Directorate, and archaeologists from Oxford University  and the University of Pisa came to study them. Due to the rugged terrain and steep rocky slopes, the retrieved artifacts were airlifted to the ancient city of Perre using a military helicopter and ropes. In the inscriptions, there are statements made by King Antiochus I of Commagene, especially to the public.  He calls on the people to ‘obey and respect the law’. On the reverse side of this important inscription, there is a relief depicting Antiochus I and Mithridates I. Antiochus I (69–34 BC) was the king of Commagene. He was a king of the Armenian Yervanduni (Orontid) Dynasty, half Greek, half Iranian, and claimed to be descended from King Darius I. The Kingdom of Commagene existed from 163 BC to 72 AD, when it became part of the Roman province of Syria. The tomb of Antiochus I is located at the summit of Mount Nemrut. Archaeologists believe that the inscription they discovered will shed light on the history of humanity and Commagene.