24 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1800-year-old marble inscription found in Turkey’s Aigai excavations deciphered

The 1800-year-old inscription, consisting of 3 pieces of marble, found in the excavations in the ancient city of Aigai in western Turkey’s province of Manisa, was deciphered.

The translated marble inscription describes the Aigai people’s distress as a result of Roman tax officials’ practices.

Aigai was established on the Gün Mountain in the Yund Mountain Range, which was named Aspordene in ancient times. The ancient city, whose name comes from the Greek word “aíga” (goat), is often referred to as “the city of goats”, which is not surprising considering its high altitude and rocky lands.

The inscription was found during the excavations in the parliament building in the ancient city of Aigai in 2005.

Photo: DHA

In the inscription, it is stated that the people of Aigai sent an envoy named ‘Fortunatus’ to the Roman emperor, reporting their complaint about the different collection of taxes from goat skin by each collector and demanding that this situation be resolved. It turned out that the Roman Emperor, who took into account the complaints and demands of the Aigai people, fixed the taxes taken from goat skin at a rate of 1 in 6 and stated that he would punish the tax collectors who did not comply with this rule.

Heading the excavations in the ancient city of Aigai, Manisa Celal Bayar University Department of Archeology Associate Professor Yusuf Sezgin drew attention to the importance of the inscription in proving that the economy of the city was based on goats and goat skins.

Associate Professor Sezgin said, “The first excavations in Aigai started in 2004. In the parliament building where the excavations started, 3 marble pieces belonging to an inscription were found the following year. The inscription was partially studied and translated by Professor Hasan Malay. But we lose our teacher last year. It was deciphered by doing detailed researchs on it. This inscription is very valuable, especially its presence in the parliament already reveals its value. The inscription confirms that the basis of the city’s economy was based on goats and goat skins,” he said.

Associate Professor Yusuf Sezgin said, "The marble inscription confirms that the basis of the economy of the city was formed on goats and goat skins."
Associate Professor Yusuf Sezgin said, “The marble inscription confirms that the basis of the economy of the city was formed on goats and goat skins.”

Associate Professor Sezgin continued: “Aigai literally means goat. It is geography suitable for goat breeding in its geography. For the first time, we have come to a situation where we can saying this with an inscription. It is an inscription written 1800 years ago and it was placed in the parliament. It must be one of the most important issues of the city. Determining the taxes collected by the Roman emperors and fixing them. Thanks to the inscription, the city’s relationship with goat skin confirmed our theories that the city’s economy was based on goat skin. In this respect, it is an important inscription that we have newly presented to the world of science.”

Brief History of Aigai

Aigai, also known as Aigaiai or Nemrutkale, is thought to have been founded in the seventh century B.C. in the ancient region of Aeolis, which includes the land between the modern district of Ayvack in Çanakkale and downtown Izmir. It was a member of the Aeolian dodecapolis, a 12-city confederation.

Aigai ancient city
Aigai ancient city

The city reached its golden age during the reign of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty that ruled the land from three to two B.C. 

On account of a severe earthquake in 17 B.C., which caused irreversible damage to the Aegean coast as well as Aigai, the city was rebuilt in subsequent decades. Aigai was deserted in the third century A.D. and remained unoccupied for about a millennium. The archaeological discoveries in the area date back to the Eastern Roman period and support the theory that the city was resettled by the Byzantines and used as a small settlement for a Christian congregation.

You can find details about the ancient city of Aigai here.

Related Articles

700-Year-Old Lord Vishnu’s Sculpture Washes Ashore on Pedda Rushikonda Beach

23 March 2025

23 March 2025

On a serene Friday evening, the tranquil shores of Pedda Rushikonda beach were disrupted by an extraordinary sight: a centuries-old...

The ruins believed to belong to Noah’s Ark date back to 5500-3000 years BC.

26 October 2023

26 October 2023

Rock and soil samples taken from the area where the ruins of ‘Noah’s Ark‘ are believed to be located in...

Japan-Persia Ancient Ties

20 June 2021

20 June 2021

Japanese and Persian ancient ties go back to the 7th century. Silk Road connected Japan with countries and regions far...

The Enigmatic Architecture of Sacsayhuaman: The Sacred Stronghold of Massive Stones and Mysteries

14 March 2025

14 March 2025

Sacsayhuaman Fortress, located just outside Cusco, Peru, is one of the most astonishing archaeological complexes in the world. Initiated by...

Turkey to Present 12 Historic Artifacts to Istanbul Patriarch

10 August 2021

10 August 2021

The government said on Monday that Turkey will deliver stolen icons from ancient local churches to Istanbul’s Fener Greek Patriarch...

Archaeologists Unearth Cisterns at Izmir’s Ancient “City of Mother Goddess”

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

In the ancient city of Metropolis, in western Turkey, in the province of Izmir, something that played an important role...

A Mysterious Deity’s Ancient Gold Gift was Discovered at Georgia’s Gonio-Apsaros Roman Fort

25 October 2024

25 October 2024

During excavations at the Roman fortress of Apsaros in Georgia, archaeologists discovered a unique gold votive plaque presented to Jupiter...

700-Year-Old Church Becomes a Museum

31 January 2021

31 January 2021

It was learned that the 7-century-old church in Akçaabat, Trabzon will serve as a museum from now on. St. The...

Discoveries on the island of Minorca shed light on the history of Roman conquests in the Balearic Islands

31 July 2021

31 July 2021

The University of Alicante Institute for Archeology and Historical Heritage (INAPH) Researchs discovered a collection of buried Roman antiquities going...

Assyrian seal found in the ancient Kef Fortress built by the Urartians

18 November 2024

18 November 2024

An alabaster seal, believed to be from the Assyrian Empire and belonging to a nobleman, was discovered in the ancient...

Woodhenge Found in Denmark: A Link Between Denmark and Britain’s Neolithic Past

1 March 2025

1 March 2025

In a stunning revelation, archaeologists have unearthed a remarkable structure dubbed “woodhenge” in Denmark, a discovery that not only illuminates...

In Lake Mendota, Wisconsin archaeologists discover the oldest canoe ever found in the Great Lakes region

23 September 2022

23 September 2022

A group of divers from Madison, Wisconsin’s Lake Mendota emerged on Thursday carrying a remarkable piece of history for the...

Surprising Discovery: In Guatemala, archaeologists uncover hidden neighborhood in the ancient Maya city

28 September 2021

28 September 2021

A recent lidar analysis revealed, the region surrounding Central Tikal’s Lost World Complex, which was long thought to be a...

What If Ancient Statues Smelled Wonderful? The Surprising Secrets of Greco-Roman Sculptures

16 March 2025

16 March 2025

A new study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology has shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of ancient Greek...

Found Home of the Legendary Viking Woman Who Crossed the Atlantic 500 Years Before Columbus

11 March 2021

11 March 2021

Archaeologists in Iceland recently excavated a farm believed to belong to the legendary Viking woman Gudrid Torbjörnsdottir. She is believed...