Ancient tombs dating back to the 4th century B.C. have been cleaned by officials of the Fethiye Museum, after news emerged that they were being used as storage space by locals in the western province of Muğla’s Fethiye district. Link

The Urartian-era Çavuştepe Castle in the eastern province of Van’s Gürpınar district has had its worst year in terms of visitors compared to the last 53 years. The castle, which was visited by nearly 30,000 tourists annually until last year, only received 1,500 visitors this year. Link

The Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Turkey (BSB) has slammed the Antalya International Film Festival's decision to cancel the national documentary feature competition in this year's festival, accusing the event's organizers of blocking the public's access to the genre, Turkish news agencies reported Thursday. Link

An amulet figure that has been unearthed during excavations at the Çukuriçi mound in Ephesus has revealed that the ancient city is actually nine millennia old. Made of black stone and believed to have been used as jewelry, the 2.1-centimeter amulet brings the history of Ephesus 9,000 years back – a full 1,000 years earlier than previously believed. Link

New data obtained during excavations on Van Castle has revealed that Lake Van was much smaller 7,000 years ago and has risen over time to reach its current size. Link

Scientists are slipping 3-D cameras into Syria to local activists and residents to scan antiquities. A U.S.-funded project aims to provide local conservators with resources to help safeguard relics. Inside Syria, volunteers scramble to document damage to monuments and confirm what remains. Link

A Swiss public prosecutor has ordered that a precious Roman-era sarcophagus be returned to Turkey five years after it was seized by customs in Geneva, an official statement said on Sept.23.Considered a major archaeological find, the sarcophagus depicts the 12 labours of Hercules and was sequestered at the Geneva Freeport warehouse complex in 2010. Link1 Link2

Between 2002 and 2015, nearly 4,000 cultural and historical artifacts across Turkey have been restored, according to General Directorate of Foundations Director Adnan Ertem. Link

The 4.5-kilometer Roman-era King’s Road in Mersin is being cleaned for restoration work. When the work is done, the road is expected to be on the itinerary of international archaeology travel groups. Link 

Three massive, mysterious amphoras have been unearthed during excavations in the Kaniş-Kültepe-Karum archaeological field in Kayseri. While still unsure as to their use, experts say it be difficult to produce the amphoras, even with today’s technology. Link