Archaeology
Sarcophagi avenue found in ancient necropolis
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Tios have uncovered a Roman necropolis featuring an avenue lined with sarcophagi.
Tios is an Ancient Greek colony, located on the south-western coast of the Black Sea near the modern Filyos Port in Zonguldak, Turkey.
Legend has it that the city was founded in the 7th century BC by a Milesian priest named Tios in the land of the Caucones, a Paphlagonian tribe.
Unlike many other Greek colonies along the Black Sea coast, Tios has remained relatively well-preserved in situ, with the archaeological record largely undisturbed by modern development.
Recent excavations, led by Professor Şahin Yıldırım from Bartın University, have uncovered a large necropolis on the eastern side of the city. Archaeologists have so far unearthed 96 sarcophagi, 23 chamber burials, 7 cist graves, 60 frame tile graves, and over 1300 funerary objects.
Image Credit : AA
According to Professor Yıldırım, the necropolis covers a vast area and has burials dating from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD, a period of burial activity that lasted a millennia.
The necropolis was most active around the 1st to 3rd centuries AD during the Roman period, emerging into a “city of the dead”. “We can see that the necropolis was constructed with a plan consisting of streets, alleys and terraces, just like a city,” said Professor Yıldırım.
Excavations have also revealed an avenue measuring approximately 500 metres, in which sarcophagi have been deliberately placed on its left and right flanks. The archaeologists suggest that these burials belonged to wealthy individuals, predominately from the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD.
“To date, no such necropolis examples of this scale have been encountered in any ancient city in the Black Sea region. This area holds a very important place for Türkiye and Black Sea archaeology,” added Professor Yıldırım.
Header Image Credit : AA
Sources : DailySabah
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists are excavating a fortified settlement associated with the Linear Pottery Culture at Eilsleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
The Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic period from 5500 to 4500 BC.
The site at Eilsleben was first identified during the 1920’s, revealing one of Central Europe’s largest Neolithic settlements.
Excavations conducted from 1974 to 1989 unearthed the remnants of ancient homes, numerous burials, and pits likely used for ritualistic human and animal sacrifices.
The settlement phases of the site can be divided into two distinct periods.
The earliest phase features north-south oriented dwellings, as well as remnants of a defensive trench measuring up to 3 metres in width. In the later phase, a central spring was fortified with a rampart, palisade and ditch, with further structural changes to form a giant trapezoidal structure.
Archaeologists from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt recently excavated a 200-square-metre area to carry out a sediment analysis, along with micromorphological and phytolith studies.
Using these modern scientific methods, the researchers hope to understand the site formation, as well as the levels of occupational activity within the wider settlement area.
Excavations also found extensive find material, consisting of pottery vessel fragments, stone implements (e.g., blades, arrowheads, axes) and bone and antler objects.
According to the archaeologists, the find material is providing deeper insights into the interactions between the region’s earliest farmers in the fertile Magdeburg Börde and the contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.
The LDA said: “The excavations are already showing that the Neolithic settlement remains are surprisingly well preserved. The excavators found post holes of houses as well as the remains of wattle and daub house walls. The concentrations of finds are enabling conclusions to be drawn about the use of the spaces within the settlement.”
Header Image Credit : LDA
Sources : State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the APSARA National Authority have uncovered a guardian statue at the Banteay Prey Nokor temple complex in Kompong Cham, Cambodia.
Known locally as the temple of “Wat Nokor in Khum of Kompong Siem”, or “Wat Angkor”, Banteay Prey Nokor was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII (AD 1181–1218), the first king devoted to Buddhism in the Khmer Empire.
The complex covers an area of 37 acres and consists of a central tower surrounded by four laterite wall enclosures made from sandstone and laterite.
In addition to being the largest ancient temple complex in Kampong Cham Province, it has several distinguishing features. One of the most notable is its construction from black sandstone, which sets it apart from other temples of the period, typically built from brick or reddish sandstone.
Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Archaeologists from the Department of Preservation and Archaeology at the APSARA Authority recently excavated one of the gateways of Banteay Prey Nokor, clearing away layers of rubble from the collapsed upper structure.
Upon removing the rubble material, a guardian door statue was uncovered to the right of the eastern entrance to the gateway. The statue is broken into six pieces – breaking at the neck, the left forearm, the waist, and below the knees of both legs.
According to the researchers, the statue, which originally stood at a height of around 1.6 metres, is of the Bayon style, in reference to the Bayon state temple of Jayavarman VII at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom.
“The sandstone gate guardian will now be stored at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum,” Angkor Wat’s heritage police said in a statement. “It will be preserved and studied further.”
Header Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Sources : APSARA National Authority
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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