While the Islamic State has destroyed multiple sites of world heritage in Syria (like in Palmyra), not all is lost in the search for Syrian history—because parts of the ancient Syrian empire are now located in Turkey.
In fact, archaeologists from the University of Münster have made an exciting discovery: invaluable ancient Syrian mosaics and buildings dating from the time of Roman Syria.
The site is in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border: “The ancient city of Doliche, which was part of the province of Syria in Roman times, lies at the fringes of the Turkish metropolis of Gaziantep today,” explained excavation director Dr. Engelbert Winter, of the University of Münster’s Asia Minor Research Centre, in a statement.
“The city is one of the few places where Syrian urban culture from the Hellenistic-Roman era can currently still be studied.”
The other sites, of course, were destroyed or are simply inaccessible because of the war, such as Apamea (destroyed by illicit excavations) and Cyrrhus (inaccessible).
“For the time being, therefore, our excavations in the city of Doliche, which is situated on Turkish territory and which can, in addition, well developed through extensive preliminary work and accessible to archaeological research, can provide new information about the urban culture in the ancient Northern Syrian midland,” said Winter.
Excavations in Doliche aren’t disappointing
“The most outstanding discovery of our excavations is a high-quality mosaic floor in a splendid complex of buildings with a court enclosed by columns that originally covered more than 100 square metres [roughly 1000 square feet],” explained archaeologist Dr. Michael Blömer.
“Because of its size and the strict, well-composed sequence of delicate geometric patterns, the mosaic is one of the most beautiful examples of late antique mosaic art in the region. These first findings already reveal the potential that the site has for further research into the environment of the urban elites and for questions as to the luxurious furnishing in urban area.”
The building that houses the mosaic was likely a villa for a wealthy urbanite. The teams have also uncovered other, simpler houses, alleys, and water pipelines—all of which reveal a wealth of information.
“By means of different methods, we hope to obtain a reliable picture of a Northern Syrian city from the Hellenistic era to the age of the crusaders as well as a clearer picture of the material everyday culture and of local identities in this region, the research of which is still in its early stages as regards ancient Syria,” said Blömer.
However, this site seems to have residents from all time periods. Nearby, on mount Dülük Baba Tepesi, a sanctuary to the popular Roman cult figure Iuppiter Dolichenus (or Jupiter of Doliche) and a Christian abbey built dating from the early Middle Ages are also being excavated. The site of the sanctuary has just this year been recognized as founded much earlier than initially assumed; a high-quality bronze stage dating to around the early 1st millennium BCE indicates it was first built around the 9th and 8th centuries BCE.
Also nearby, a rock shelter housed a Paleolithic settlement dating back to 600,000 to 300,000 BCE.
“People settled here because there was flint from which tools were crafted,” explained Winter. “Some of our new finds can already be dated back to around 300,000 BC. Therefore, we plan to expand research on this site, which is central to the early history of humankind, into an individual project.”
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Feature Image: Peter Jülich
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