Arslan Kaya, the Lion Rock, is now believed to be dedicated to the Phrygian mother goddess Materan. Source: Ingeborg Simon / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Partial Decipherment of Arslan Kaya Monument Gives Its Goddess a Name

In the west of Turkey, in the highlands of ancient Phrygia stands a enigmatic tower of volcanic rock. Known as Arslan Kaya, it has intrigued scientists for generations. More than two and a half millennia old, the 15-meter-tall monument is nothing short of a work of art. Carved into the surface of “Lion Rock” as