16 April 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A 4000-Year-Old Trading Port was Discovered in Istanbul

Archaeological excavations carried out on a peninsula in the middle of Istanbul Küçükçekmece Lake unearthed a very important 4,000-year-old trade port and cultural layer.

The Bathonea excavations, led by Şengül Aydıngün, yield data that will shed light on the history of Istanbul.

Stating that Istanbul was discovered by the Ancient Greeks around 680 BC, Assoc. Dr. Şengül Aydıngün said that the Bathonea excavation area was started to be used at that time and that the Byzantium City State founded by Byzantium could be defined as a port settlement.

We Reached the Cultural Layer 

Aydıngün said, “Approximately 20-25 cm. We observed sea sand and soil formation on it. After the sea receded, agricultural land was formed. After the formation of the B two layers, people come and start building the first structures. One of these structures is an early Christian church of 3 naves. It was demolished and built several times, and eventually, It was completely abandoned by an earthquake in the 11th century. Here we have identified earthquakes in the 6th and 11th centuries.

The Bathonea excavations
Şengül Aydıngün, “A very important cultural layer for Istanbul has been unearthed in the ancient city of Bathonea.”

We identified a very important cultural layer for Istanbul in this region where there are also middle bronze age materials. Because; “A layer belonging to the year 2000 BC. has not been recorded in Istanbul until today,” she said.

Tin puts the region in a strategic position

We think it is a very important trade center. A trading place dating back 3,500 / 4,000 years from today… We think the tin mine has arrived. Saying that tin, which is a very important mine for bronze making, puts the region in a strategic position, archaeologist Dr. Haldun Aydıngün said: “When we look at the wall system that has been unearthed, it is seen that it does not belong to a house or a temple. I think we’re digging warehouses here. We also found plenty of tin material at the bottom of the warehouse. The materials found were stored in Bathonea port while passing through the middle of an intercontinental trade area, but could not be carried to the customer, stayed here.

The professor who participated in the excavations from Poland Wroclaw University. Dr. Blazej Stanislawski said: “The port encountered was probably the largest and most important port of the Byzantine capital. It is very interesting that it is a large harbor within the walls. We also know that from the 9th century until the 11th century, there was a very important trade route extending from the Russian Region in Eastern Europe to the Black Sea and Constantinople before the Baltic Sea region. 

Related Articles

Archaeologists uncover a 1,500-year-old Lost Mayan city in the Yucatan

28 May 2022

28 May 2022

Researchers have presented their findings after discovering the remnants of an ancient Mayan city on a building site in Mexico....

Archaeologists reveal largest paleolithic cave art site in Eastern Iberia

17 September 2023

17 September 2023

More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings thought to be at least 24,000 years old were found in the cave...

The excavations in Selinunte, Italy, which has the largest Agora in the Ancient World, “The results have gone well beyond expectations”

29 July 2022

29 July 2022

In the Selinunte, one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek period in Italy, the outlines of the...

Underwater Archaeologists discovered World’s Largest and Oldest ancient shipyard on Dana Island, Türkiye

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

The ruins of the world’s largest and oldest ancient shipyard were found in the north of the island of Dana,...

A female executive’s seal from 3000 years ago was discovered in Turkey

29 October 2021

29 October 2021

During the excavations carried out in southeastern Turkey’s Gaziantep’s Karkamış (Carchemish) Ancient City, seals and prints determined to belong to...

Archaeologists Uncover Extensive Ancient Irrigation Network in Eridu, the World’s First City

8 March 2025

8 March 2025

Recent research by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists and geologists has revealed that the Eridu region of southern Mesopotamia, inhabited...

Infinite Embrace: New research sheds light on Bronze Age family relationships that link Britain to Luxembourg

30 January 2024

30 January 2024

A new study of early Bronze Age examples from Luxembourg and Britain, led by researchers from the universities of Mainz...

Archaeologists discover a 4,000-year-old ancient city in the Iraqi Dhi Qar region

20 July 2021

20 July 2021

An astonishing find was made by archaeologists in Iraq‘s Dhi Qar province, where an ancient settlement estimated to be 4,000...

45,000 years ago, Neanderthals in the Swabian Jura used complex tool-making techniques

13 September 2021

13 September 2021

Findings that will change our perception of Neanderthals’ sophistication A team from the University of Tübingen have proved that Middle...

Private lodges were uncovered in the colosseum of the ancient city of Pergamon

24 September 2021

24 September 2021

Private lodges built for the elite-class people to watch gladiator or wild animal fights shows have been unearthed in the...

8000 years old fingerprint and ceramic production workshop found in İzmir Ulucak Mound

22 August 2022

22 August 2022

It was understood that the structure unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the 8850-year-old Ulucak Mound (Ulucak Höyük), the oldest...

To The West of Turkey Ancient Quarry Found

28 March 2021

28 March 2021

Turkey is very lucky in terms of ancient settlements. It is home to many unexplored artifacts, along with well-preserved ancient...

The Oldest Evidence of Stone Blade Production in Southern Arabia: 80,000-Year-Old Stone Blades Discovered

21 February 2025

21 February 2025

An international team of researchers led by Knut Bretzke of Friedrich Schiller University Jena uncovered 80,000-year-old stone blades at the...

Wasabi Isn’t Just For Sushi: It is an Innovative Solution for Preserving Ancient Papyrus

28 February 2024

28 February 2024

A new natural technique for cleaning and preserving priceless ancient Egyptian papyrus that are in danger from bacteria and fungi...

1,800-year-old wooden mask likely used in farm festivals found in Japan

25 April 2023

25 April 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed an almost perfectly preserved wooden mask from the early third century at the Nishi-Iwata ruins in Osaka...