An ancient inscription at Türkiye’s Arsian Kaya (lion rock) monument has finally been deciphered. Researcher Dr. Mark Munn at Penn State University says the Iron Age texts refer to a goddess known as “Mother.”
The monument, dating from 1200 to 600 BCE, is decorated with lions and sphinxes. However, the inscription on the monument has been severely damaged by looters over the centuries, making it extremely difficult to translate. Professor Munn says the inscription spells out the name “Materan,” a goddess of the Phrygians.
Most ancient civilizations have worshipped a maternal deity. The ancient Minoans called her a variety of names including Atana Potnia. Across the Mediterranean this mother goddess has been referred to as Astarte, Ishtar, Cybele, Rhea, and Dictynna. The Minoan snake goddess is one of the oldest symbols of this mother deity, but rings and sealstones from the early Bronze Age also depict her. Dr. Munn says the monument bearing Materan’s name makes sense because there’s also an image of the goddess.
The Arslan Kaya monument sits atop a rock formation in the Phrygian highlands, in Western Türkiye. The monument is carved into a volcanic peak about 15 meters tall. The remains of the mother goddess and the inscription, along with geometric patterns adorn the object.
The Great Mother usually embodies both creation and destruction and a deity of life, death, and rebirth, mirroring the natural cycles observed by the Minoans and other civilizations.
