In 1974 he was a research associate at the University of Saarland at the of Winfried Orthmann directed excavation of the 5000 year old city of Tall plant Munbāqa (also Ekalte (Mumbaqat)) in Northern Syria.
Travels in near eastern countries and excavation campaigns in Ilica (Turkey) and in Mumbaqat (Syria) since 1973-1974 supported his work as a specialist in archaeology, particularly in the area of Hittite culture.