Amazon Research Center

Attic red-figured cup - now in the Museo Nazionale in Naples, Italy.
This image on the inside of a cup depicts two armed Amazons facing each other. The one on the right is an archer; she wears the typical Scythian attire consisting of a pointed cap and a pantsuit. She is armed with a bow and a battle axe. The Amazon on the left is dressed like a Greek hoplite (= foot soldier). She is armed with a spear, and her shield is leaning behind her.
This image shows us two self-assured female warriors.

=> Aim and Objectives
=> Our Projects
=> Pictures and Books
=> About Us

The Land of the Amazons - a Photo Tour along the Thermodon River

Get a glimpse of the legendary homeland of the Amazons.

=> Maps
This page provides a detailed overview of the regions where the Thermodon Amazons, the Amazons of Lemnos, and the Libyan Amazons are located.

Themiskyra - Famous capital of the Amazons in northern Turkey
=> First Traces - 1987 Research Campaign

Kapru Kale - The Amazons' mountain fortress and their last refuge
=> 1987 Research Campaign
=> 1999 Research Campaign

Lykastia and Chadesia - Other Cities of the Amazons
=> Ancient sources and archaeological context
=> The Tekkeköy cemetery
=> Tekkeköy - 1999 Research Campaign
=> Ikiztepe - 1999 Research Campaign

Aretias - The Sacred Island of the Amazons
=> Ancient sources and archaeological context
=> 1999 Research Campaign
=> Giresun Adasi Project

Other Fortifications and Monuments in the Homeland of the Amazons
=> Caleoglu Kale and Kekirkalesi
=> Asar Kale - 1999 Research Campaign
=> Panagia Soumela (Soumela Shrine of the Virgin Mary): On-Site Survey 2015

Lemnos - The Advanced Civilization of the Amazons in the Aegean Sea
=> 2002 Research Campaign
=> 2003 Research Campaign
=> 2006 Research Campaign - The Relief Stone from Hephaistia

Samothrace - Sacred Island of the »Great Mother«
=> 2004 Research Campaign

Southern Tunisia - In Search of the Homeland of the Libyan Amazons
=> 2005 Research Campaign (PDF file - 621 KB)

Lycia - A Land Ruled by Women
=> Research report - Lycia 2024 (PDF file - 57.5 MB)

Interesting Research Studies from the Past

>>> Religion and the Cult of the Amazons
Over 100 years ago - in 1912 - Florence Mary Bennett published the book: RELIGIOUS CULTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMAZONS.
Her well-researched work provides, based on ancient traditions, a comprehensive overview of all aspects linking the Amazons to cults and religion. Based on her research, she arrives at conclusions that are strikingly similar to our own. The myth of the Amazons can only be explained in connection with a cultural phase in which women were the dominant element of society.
She writes in her conclusions: "We may believe then that the tradition of the Amazons preserves memories of a time when women held the important place in state and religion in Aegean lands, and that they reflect the goddess of this civilisation."
At the heart of the Amazons' religion was the worship of the »Great Mother« - an all-encompassing, all-powerful goddess. She was worshipped at sacred stones.
=> The book in PDF format (515 KB)

>>> The Amazons by Guy Cadogan Rothery
Also in 1912 Guy Cadogan Rothery published »THE AMAZONS«.
This book is impressive in and of itself due to the sheer wealth of information it contains about the Amazons. Not only are the well-known Amazons of classical antiquity described in great detail here, but it also includes many accounts of Amazons or Amazon-like societies in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His conclusions are also strikingly clear and convincing, making one wonder why his work received so little attention.
Once you've read the book, you truly realize just how numerous and diverse the accounts and stories about Amazons are. It also becomes clear that, in many cases, the well-known ancient Amazon myth could not possibly have served as a template; consequently, Amazon legends must have emerged independently of one another on different continents.
=> The book in PDF format (8 MB)

>>> Alexis Giraud-Teulon
=> La Mère chez certains peuples de l'Antiquité

Original Ancient Texts about the Amazons

How did the ancient Greeks imagine the Amazons?
There is a vast body of literature on the Amazons, and the overwhelming majority of ancient writers left no doubt that the Amazons were real historical figures.
Read the most significant original texts in English translation!

The Lost History of the Amazons

Recent research findings on the legendary women nation

This book follows in the footsteps of the legendary Amazons. It explores the famous Amazon legend in all its facets, embarks on an archaeological search for clues, and presents the latest research findings from the Amazons' legendary homeland on the Thermodon River and from the island of Lemnos, which was once inhabited by Amazons. In-depth studies of ancient Amazon legends, combined with the latest on-site discoveries, unravel the mysterious myth surrounding this famous tribe of women. Numerous illustrations document the research findings.
This latest research challenges the established view of history. Numerous archaeological and historical clues suggest that the Amazons really did exist! Based on these latest findings, the lost history of the Amazons can be reconstructed.