24 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A 1,700-year-old trident discovered in Assos ancient city in Türkiye

An iron trident, believed to be used for fishing, dating to the 3rd or 4th century A.D. has been discovered in the ancient Aegean coastal resort town of Assos in northwestern Turkey.

The team was unearthed by archaeologists excavating the Nymphaion (eastern fountain), an ornate fountain on the east of the ancient city’s center.

Excavations in the ancient city are being carried out by a team led by Nurettin Arslan, a humanities and social sciences professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. The Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Turkish Historical Society are supporting the digging work.

An expert restorer worked on the archeological find to clear the trident of soil and oxidized agents on it.

The trident was found among pieces of the Nymphaion’s collapsed vault, and was instantly recognized as the business end of a hand-held fishing harpoon from its size and distinctive shape.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Arslan told Anadolu that the fish spear was a material they have seen especially in murals and other depictions.

“This is the first time we find such materials in Assos, because tools made of iron are the materials decaying most rapidly in ancient cities,” [Nurettin Arslan, humanities and social sciences professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University,] said. However, this trident found in this structure is an important example in that it was found almost completely intact.

“Although we know that such tools were widely used in ancient times, we can say that it is an important work since the examples that have survived so far are very rare. As far as we know, it is said or we see in descriptions that such tools were used in ancient times to catch big fish at sea in small boats by lighting them with a torch at night,” he added.

Assos’ fishermen, who have made their living from the sea for thousands of years, probably had access to harpoons like this one that were made in the area. Archaeological evidence of iron smelting and working has been discovered in Assos, so it is possible that the metal came from the city.

Assos, located in Behram Village in Ayvacık District of Çanakkale Province, was founded by immigrants from Lesbos (Methymna Settlement on Lesbos Island) in the 7th century B.C., according to ancient writers. It has been determined by recent archaeological studies that the history of the city dates back to the Bronze Age.

Related Articles

Giant handaxe discovered at Ice Age site in Kent, UK

8 July 2023

8 July 2023

Researchers in Kent in southeastern England have discovered a prehistoric handaxe so big it would have been almost impossible to...

On the eastern shore of the Marmara Sea, off the coast of Yalova, a 1700-year-old Shipwreck was discovered

23 August 2023

23 August 2023

A 1700-year-old shipwreck was discovered during maritime police training dives in the province of Yalova, located on the east coast...

A rare reliquary discovered during excavations in Poland

19 October 2023

19 October 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare enkolpion -a medallion with an icon in the center worn around the neck by Eastern...

Stone Age Architectural Marvel Unveiled Deep in the Baltic Sea: It may be one of the largest known Stone Age structures in Europe

13 February 2024

13 February 2024

Hiding deep beneath the Baltic Sea, an architectural wonder of the Stone Age has been discovered by researchers. This megastructure,...

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...

The ancient city of Kastabala will soon have a colonnaded Street

4 September 2021

4 September 2021

The archaeological excavation of the ancient city of Kastabala in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey continues. Kastabala-Hierapolis is one of...

An 800-meter-long colonnaded street from the Roman period discovered in Türkiye’s famous holiday resort Antalya

18 April 2024

18 April 2024

During the archaeological excavations in Hıdırlık Tower, one of the historical symbols of Antalya, the famous holiday resort in the...

Archaeologists find 4,000-year-old Sanctuary in Netherlands

22 June 2023

22 June 2023

Archaeologists discovered a 4,000-year-old sanctuary during excavations of the model industrial estate in the town of Tiel, located 72 kilometers...

Ancient Three Fortresses: Layered Defense on Egypt’s Eastern Border at Tell Abu Saifi

11 May 2025

11 May 2025

Archaeological excavations at the strategically significant Tell Abu Saifi site in North Sinai have unearthed compelling evidence of Egypt’s long-standing...

1,800-year-old Roman remains discovered in valley of eastern Turkey

21 February 2022

21 February 2022

Roman remains dating back 1800 years have been found in a valley in eastern Turkey. Among the Roman ruins found...

A 3,300-year-old tablet found at Büklükale from Hittite Empire describes catastrophic invasion of four cities

11 March 2024

11 March 2024

Archaeologists have unearthed a 3,300-year-old clay tablet depicting a catastrophic foreign invasion of the Hittite Empire in Büklükale, about 100...

3D printing technology was used for the restored relic restoration of an ancient palace in Liangzhu Archaeological Site

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Six rebuilt massive wooden pillars of an old palace have been exposed to the public for the first time at...

Symbol of Eternal Loyalty Found on Rare Medieval Sword in the Netherlands

14 June 2025

14 June 2025

A remarkable medieval sword, dating back nearly 1,000 years, has been discovered in the Dutch province of Utrecht bearing a...

2,800-Year-Old ‘Pharmaceutical production area’ discovered in ancient Thracian City

19 January 2024

19 January 2024

Archaeologists have unearthed a “pharmaceutical production area” supported by a water source during ongoing excavations in the Thracian Ancient City...

Kent Archaeological Society purchased an Anglo-Saxon hoard ahead of a London auction

1 November 2022

1 November 2022

The Kent Archaeological Society has bought a large collection of Anglo-Saxon artifacts from the sixth and seventh centuries known as...