Thousands of Years of Cultural Heritage in Samsun’s İkiztepe Brought to Light with the Support of Eti Bakır


Eti Bakır, one of Türkiye’s leading copper producers, has once again sponsored the İkiztepe excavations conducted in the Bafra district of Samsun. This support—highly significant for the protohistoric periods of Black Sea archaeology—has continued uninterrupted for three years. Through this collaboration, Eti Bakır continues to contribute to the unearthing of the region’s thousands-year-old cultural heritage.

As part of the “Unearthing All the Treasures Beneath the Ground” project, Eti Bakır supports the excavation works at both the İkiztepe Mound in Samsun and the İnkaya Cave in Çanakkale. In addition to its sponsorship for İkiztepe, the company also continues to invest in technology- and sustainability-focused projects at its facilities in Samsun. İkiztepe stands out as a center that has shaped Anatolian archaeology—ranging from Black Sea-style wooden architecture and the earliest traces of textile weaving to metal use, as well as stone and bone artifacts. The metal finds uncovered here demonstrate that societies had already attained an advanced level of metallurgical technology thousands of years ago. Eti Bakır also leads the future of the industry by operating Türkiye’s largest R&D Center in the field of mining, established in Samsun. The center focuses on improving product quality, increasing efficiency and developing zero-waste production technologies—bridging ancient heritage with the mining technologies of tomorrow.

“THE CONTINUITY OF THESE EXCAVATIONS IS POSSIBLE THROUGH COLLABORATION”

Associate Professor Aslıhan Beyazıt, Excavation Director and Faculty Member at Istanbul University, shared the following remarks about this year’s work: “The İkiztepe excavations are among the most important efforts revealing the cultural wealth of Samsun. Their continuity is possible only through collaborations between the public and private sectors. Eti Bakır’s ongoing support for three years not only enables our excavations to continue but also highlights the importance given to protecting cultural heritage. We thank Eti Bakır for the contribution it provides to the continuity of our scientific research. This collaboration—where culture, science and industry come together—is one of the most valuable legacies we will leave to the future.”

“WE ARE BUILDING A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE PAST AND TODAY”

Ali Yılmaz, Operations Manager of Eti Bakır’s Samsun Smelting and Electrolysis Plant, stated:

“The findings uncovered at İkiztepe prove that copper was processed in this region thousands of years ago. Today, as we produce 99.99% pure cathode copper at our Samsun facilities, we are essentially building a bridge between the past and the present. We are proud to continue a mining tradition that began on these lands thousands of years ago with the advanced technologies of our time. We are pleased to sustain our support for the İkiztepe excavations this year as well. While preserving our cultural heritage, we also contribute to the future through our R&D investments, environmentally friendly production technologies and social projects for younger generations.”