The 2003 season at Kerkenes has fulfilled our expectation and strongly confirmed our interpretation of the structures in the central portion of the city. The existence of true megarons, with open porches and central hearths, was confirmed while their particular importance was hinted at by the recovery of a number of three-footed sandstone bowls and, from an associated rectangular building, a pair of ornate sandstone bases. At the Cappadocia Gate an aniconic stele of Phrygian type added more evidence of western cultural influences. The climax of the season, however, was the completely unexpected discovery of fragments of relief sculpture with inscriptions in Phrygian characters. It may be seen, then, that further excavation in the lower central portion of the site could be conducted with great precision and would undoubtedly reveal more of the material culture together with details of the architecture and phases of construction. Important and interesting as that would be, in the short term it is incumbent upon us to finish the larger enterprises which have been initiated at both the Cappadocia gate and the Monumental Entrance to the Palace Complex. With special regard to the latter, it is imperative that investigations here be brought to a full and satisfactory conclusion, not only because of the extreme importance of the sculptural and inscribed fragments but also because of the vulnerability of the entrance to looters and vandals.

Understanding of the city on the Kerkenes Dag is slowly developing. Of our earlier interpretations, some still appear to hold true whilst others have to be discarded. The date of the foundation of the city is one of the outstanding problems that further excavation can expect to establish while, at the same time, casting further light on the cultural affinities of the founders. A new 5-Year program of research is planned, and we have every expectation that the results will be every bit as astonishing as those from past campaigns.