Category: Archaeology

Assorted Finds from Turkey

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

From Today’s Zaman:

Archaeological excavations at three locations in Turkey have revealed numerous artifacts from three ancient cities.

The excavations of the area, which have been ongoing for seven years, have also revealed an amphitheater, the first hospital in the historical Lycian region and the stoa of the ancient city. Assistant Professor from Akdeniz University İsa Turgut stated that they have cleared the area carefully from debris and plan to reveal the façade of the mausoleum next year.

Meanwhile, excavations being carried out at Enez Castle in the northwestern province of Edirne have resulted in the discovery of a 2,500-year-old urn, a 2,350-year-old bronze wine goblet and cultural ruins dating back to the fourth century B.C.

The mayor of Enez, Ahmet Çayır, stated that five houses around the area had been expropriated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Under the scope of nationalization, the ministry compensated the owners of the houses and demolished them to continue with the excavations.

A team of 40 started restorations in Hadrianopolis in Eskipazar, a district of the Black Sea province of Karabük, where illegal excavations had damaged the historic artifacts. The town was reportedly built by Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Assistant professor Vedat Keleş of Atatürk University told reporters that they are working to prevent further damage to the churches in the city and that the team has cleaned nearly 1 million mosaic tiles in two months.

An Archaeological Appeal ~ Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

I’m not sure I’ve seen one of these ‘Causes’ things before, but the Bulgarian Archaeological Society is apparently seeking some assistance in regards to the site of Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria:

Here’s some info from their page:

The Bulgarian Archaeological Association (BAA) along with Association “Ratiaria” have set themselves the goal of attracting the attention of the international community and to raise funds to protect Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria. This archaeological site was one of the most important Roman and Early Byzantine centres in the lower Danube area which in the past 20 years was targeted by treasure hunters and destroyed.

Since 2008, the Bulgarian Archaeological Association carried out rescue actions on the territory of Ratiaria. For several years we have discovered 14 new Latin inscription, over 700 artifacts, more then 15 new monumental buildings, and over 20 new legionary stamps. In 2010 was uncovered the well preserved main street (decumanus maximus) of the city. All these data show that Ratsiaria is not irretrievably lost for the Roman archeology.

More here:

 

Bulgarian Coin Hoard

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From Novinite … sounds like one we’ll be hearing more about (hopefully):

A team of Bulgarian archaeologists has found a coin treasure from the 3rd century BC near the southeastern-most Bulgarian Black Sea village of Sinemorets.

The coin treasure was discovered by the team of Prof. Daniela Agre excavating archaeological sites in the region in a ceramic vessel.

“We are now working, cleaning around the vessel. Once we lift it, we will be able to say how many are there. This is a treasure consisting of silver coins, a large one,” she told the Focus news agency.

Prof. Agre explained the vessel containing the coins was found buried next to a tower of the fortified home of an Ancient Thracian ruler that has been known to the Bulgarian archaeologists since 2006.

The archaeologist pointed out that there are only a few cases in which coin treasures of such scope have been found during excavations in Bulgaria.

She believes the coins in question were most likely minted by Alexander the Great or his officer and successor Lysimachus. Agre promised to provide more information later.

… if you’re keeping score of who finds what in Bulgaria, Dr Agre is the archaeologist who found that chariot burial a couple of years ago (Chariot Burial (and more) from Borissovo)

Follow the Anglesey Road

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From the Daily Post:

ARCHEOLOGISTS will follow a buried Roman road in the hope they will find an ancient fort.

The Gwynedd Archaeology Trust completed a major dig at the Tai Cochion site near the village of Brynsiencyn, Anglesey, 18 months ago.

They discovered the site was an important Roman village with the remains of buildings, pottery and coins found.

The Romans reached the site from over the Menai Strait in Gwynedd, where Segontium in Caernarfon was an important fort.

 Now the dig team want to know where the Roman road to the north west of the site leads.

They have tracked the road for around 250 metres and will now use magnetic surveying to try and find where the road ends.

Dave Hopewell, senior archaeologist from the Gwynedd Archaeology Trust, said: “We are convinced that there was another fort on Anglesey that has never been discovered.

“This road could lead us to it.

“We can now use this new equipment to map and follow the road and we now have some funding in place to do this.

“We are excited about where this could lead.”

Anglesey, known as Mona to the Romans, was seen as a major thorn in the side of the Roman invasion of Britain.

The island was a stronghold of the Druids, spiritual and political leaders of the Celtic tribes.

Roman writer Tacitus chronicled the infamous confrontation between the Roman general Suetonius Paulinus and Druids who were said to be a terrible sight in the mid-first century.

A pitched battle was fought on the banks of the Menai Strait, with the Romans breaking the resistance and slaughtering the Druids and their followers.

The Romans later build a fort at Holyhead.

The location of the Tai Cochion settlement together with initial discoveries, suggests the settlement to be a trading post linking Anglesey with the mainland.

Analysis of the pottery shows the site dates from the end of the 1st Century, through to the middle of the 4th Century.

… we mentioned the Tai Cochion dig a couple of years ago: Romans in Wales (third item).

Hellenistic Mosaic From Monasterace

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Brief item from ANSA:

Monasterace (Reggio Calabria), September 20 – A large mosaic, likely of ancient Greek origins, has been discovered in the southern Italian town of Monasterace.

The discovery was announced Thursday by Mayor Maria Carmela Lanzetta.

The polychrome mosaic, said to be well-preserved, measures 25 square meters and covers the entire floor of a room in a thermal bath.

According to archaeologist Francesco Cuteri, who made the discovery, the mosaic is the largest found in southern Italy and dates from the Hellenistic period, which ran from about 323 BC to about 146 BC

The Italian coverage adds some details, such as Monasterace being the ancient site of Kaulon. Reggio TV also includes this photo of one of the mosaics:

via Reggio TV

ANSA’s Italian coverage includes this one:

via ANSA

… which doesn’t quite seem to match, but it is a large mosaic …