Lion statue found in ancient Greek city of Assos

Turkish archaeologists in northwestern Turkey unearthed a 2,200-year-old lion statue of the Hellenistic period in the ancient Greek city of Assos, the head of the excavation team said.

Credit: AA

Nurettin Arslan, a professor who also heads the archaeology department at Onsekiz Mart University in Canakkale, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the excavations in Assos, one of the most important port cities of antiquity, started with a team of 25 people in July, adding that the seasonal works will end next month.

Credit: AA

The sculpture of the lion was discovered in excavations of a complex which used to be an inn during that period, he said. Excavations were also carried in the Agoras, or ancient city centres of Byzantine structures, added Arslan.

Credit: AA

A 1,500-year-old stone oven dating back to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) period was also unveiled during the excavations in the area. “One of the structures contained a finding which was used at that time as a cooking stove with three pots,” he said.

Turkish archaeologists have been carrying out uninterrupted excavation work in the ancient city since 1981, after American researchers began their work in the area in the 1800s.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [September 20, 2019]