Archaeology

Secrets of Selinus: New Discoveries Reshape the Understanding of Pergamon’s Urban Riverbank

The developing landscape of Bergama unfolds along the Bergama Çayı, where the recent construction of a river embankment by the DSİ revealed ancient structures. Excavations from 2021 to 2023 under the direction of Bergama Müzesi uncovered an 1 km² wide area. In collaboration with DSİ, the İzmir State Monuments Authority and the Pergamon Excavation Project, the ongoing conservation work is contributing to a master’s thesis focusing on detailed documentation, with an emphasis on construction phases and techniques. This study explores the historical layers of the site to uncover ancient urban development and the interactions between human and nature during the Roman Imperial period.

Archaeology

Temple, Villa, or…? A Rural Site in the Pergamon Micro-Region

The Sultan Tepe site, discovered in 2009 and revisited in 2019 and 2020, near Pergamon reveals intriguing findings. The non-invasive survey suggests a complex history: a potential villa with a courtyard, a sanctuary, or even a mansio. Geophysical data points to a 175 x 100 m structure, possibly a villa. Pottery spans late Hellenistic to Byzantine periods. Despite uncertainties, this interdisciplinary approach offers valuable insights into the region’s historical development. The full study will be in ‚Istanbuler Mitteilungen.‘

Archaeology

Lost and Found in an Altered Landscape: Uncovering Ancient Sites in the Eastern Pergamon Micro-Region – A Survey Report

The Archaeological Survey in the Pergamon Micro-Region often takes us to places where history and present collide. This was especially true during this year’s survey. As part of the TransPergMicro project, the survey team explored the eastern lower plain of the Bakırçay river (ancient Kaikos) and the southern Madra Dağı Mountains around ancient Parthenion – an ancient landscape that has been affected by massive land consolidation, the construction of dams and quarrying activities in recent decades. Nevertheless, we were able to make many new discoveries and after 6 weeks of fieldwork we can tell a story of transformation and rediscovery. Here are first glimpses of our newly uncovered sites and preliminary results.