Middle Iron Age fibulaetes found in the Nevşehir Museum inventory

This research examines the widespread use of fibulae, which were discovered through archaeological data and served functions similar to those of modern fasteners/clips/safety pins, dating back to the last quarter of the 2nd millennium BCE. It is emphasised that fibulae were not only used for fastening clothing but also as objects with religious and symbolic meanings. Archaeological data has determined that these objects, believed to have originated in the Near East or the Balkans, were first manufactured in Anatolia by the Phrygians. Fibulae acquired by purchase for the Nevşehir Museum, referred to as 'Anatolian type' and later known as 'Phrygian type fibula' and 'Urartian type fibula,' have been examined in detail and evaluated. Since the fibulae acquired by purchase for the Nevşehir Museum do not have typological classifications in their inventory records, it has been determined that they contain some inconsistencies in terms of identification and typology due to the separation of similar forms based on scientific publications. In this context, a modern classification proposal has been put forward to address chronological issues, encompassing recent excavation findings and new examples. This proposal aims to analyse the data in a more systematic manner, taking into account the inadequacy of previous typological evaluations and current data, as well as the challenges posed by chronological data. Previous studies on Phrygian and Urartian fibulae have generally been limited to typological and chronological evaluations, prompting a re-examination of concepts related to decorative elements on fibulae. The analyses revealed that Phrygian-type fibulae and their decorative traditions cannot be explained by simple definitions. In particular, by identifying the symbolic and non-iconic reflections created by the combination of needle-holding plates and decorative motifs, evaluations were made on new approaches to the identification of these fibulae. It is also emphasised in current approaches that these fibulae, associated with mythological iconography, are objects that reflect the symbolism of the belief in the main goddess not only in certain parts but in their entire structure, in light of new evaluations. The study indicates that Phrygian and Urartian fibulae, the most common types of fibulae known, have been found across a wide geographical area. Fibulae examples, which are seen to have reached Western Anatolia in the late 8th century BCE and the Aegean Islands and Greece in the 7th century BCE and thereafter, have been examined and evaluated according to their centres of origin and the locations where they were discovered. These analyses provide important insights into the conditions under which the connections between Urartu and Phrygia and the Western world developed, as well as the cultural interaction facilitated through fibulae.