A mysterious inscription carved into a free-standing spire of volcanic rock has been deciphered for the first time.

An archaeologist discovered that etching on the 2,600-year-old stone monument, known as Arslan Kaya, featured the word ‘Materan,’ which means ‘mother goddess’ in ancient Indo-European.

The message was left by the Phrygians, who inhabited the region from roughly 1200 to 600 BC.

The ancient tribe was also made famous for their legendary King Midas, who was said to have turned everything he touched to gold.

About 52 feet tall, the monument was carved to resemble a building façade and engraved with images of lions and sphinxes.

It also bears an image of the mother goddess standing in the doorway with the newly deciphered inscription above.

Arslan Kaya is one of eight similar stone façades located in the Phrygian Highlands.

These ornate statues are believed to represent shrines or temples of the mother goddess.

Arslan Kaya is one of eight similar stone façades located in the Phrygian Highlands. These ornate statues are believed to represent shrines or temples of the mother goddess

The Phrygians practiced a polytheistic religion, meaning they worshipped multiple deities.

But none were held in higher esteem than the mother goddess, known as Cybele.

‘The Phrygian Mother is considered to be a powerful goddess ruling the natural world,’ study author Mark Munn, a professor of Ancient Greek History and Archaeology at Pennsylvania State University, told Newsweek.

Munn visited Arslan Kaya for the first time this year in April, and accidentally made a ‘fortuitous’ discovery.

The timing provided excellent lighting to take clear pH๏τos of the inscription, allowing him to capture a correct reading of the mysterious message.

‘If the light is not right, these traces cannot be distinguished from cracks in the rock,’ he said.

‘With my pH๏τographs, and comparing them to the best pH๏τographs taken by earlier visitors from the 1890s and 1950s, I could confirm that the name of the Mother – ‘Materan’ – can definitely be read in the center of the inscription,’ he said.

‘A few other letters can be read, but not enough to make whole words.’

Though he could not translate the entire inscription, he was able to glean some new information about its grammatical structure.

The word ‘Materan’ is the accusative form of ‘Mater,’ which means it is likely the object of a phrase or sentence following what may be a verb, Munn explained.