18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Anatolia’s largest olive oil factory unearthed

A Roman-era olive oil factory has been unearthed during excavations in the İskenderun district of Hatay.

It has been reported that the structure revealed in the researches is the largest olive oil factory in Anatolia.

The excavations that have been carried out by the Hatay Museum Directorate in the Aşkarbeyli neighborhood have come to an end. Examinations revealed that the olive oil factory date back to the 5th to 6th centuries in the Roman era.

Speaking about the works, the Hatay Archaeology Museum Director Ayşe Ersoy pointed out that there is no such large olive oil factory anywhere in Anatolia.

 Examinations revealed that the olive oil factory date back to the 5th to 6th centuries in the Roman era.
Examinations revealed that the olive oil factory date back to the 5th to 6th centuries in the Roman era.

“Olive was found for the first time in the eastern Mediterranean and spread to the whole Aegean and Europe from here. The proof of this is the discovery of 4,200-year-old olive pits in the Toprakhisar neighborhood of Altınözü district in Hatay. This shows that the olive was born on these lands and spread to the Aegean and Europe.”

Stating that Hatay was the fourth largest city in the world after the Roman Empire, adding, “This is an olive oil factory in İskenderun. As far as we know, there is no such a large olive oil factory anywhere in Anatolia. Here, the olives collected from the region were pressed in the factory, washed, then rested in the pools, and then exported from here by ships in storage containers. We are planning to turn this area into a museum as an ancient olive oil factory and open it to visitors. We are working on an area of 40,000 square meters.”

Related Articles

A Rare Roman-Era Bronze Filter Discovered in Hadrianopolis, Türkiye

11 February 2025

11 February 2025

Archaeologists excavating at Hadrianopolis in Karabük, Türkiye, have unearthed a 5th-century AD bronze filter used in Roman and Byzantine times...

Hidden Archaeological Treasures from Cologne Cathedral

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

An area of around 4,000 square meters (43,055 square feet) is being discovered beneath the Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic...

The first ivory work of art recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels was believed to be a horse – until archaeologists made a new discovery-

30 July 2023

30 July 2023

For more than 20 years, the first ivory work of art recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels was...

Archaeologists found 5 unique sculptures representing the Kakatiya art style in Siddipet

19 July 2021

19 July 2021

13th-century statues were found near a temple tank in the Siddipet district in the northern province of Telangana, India. On...

A Hoard of Gold and Silver Roman Coins Dating Back to the Reign of Emperor Nero was Found in Worcestershire

7 December 2024

7 December 2024

A hoard of Roman and Iron Age silver coins dating back to Emperor Nero’s reign has been found during building...

A 2000-year-old wooden figure was unearthed in a Buckinghamshire ditch

13 January 2022

13 January 2022

An extremely rare, carved wooden figure from the early Roman era has been discovered in a waterlogged ditch during work...

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of giant rhino

18 June 2021

18 June 2021

Paleontologists studying in China have found a new species of gigantic rhinoceros, the world’s biggest land animal. According to a...

Ice Age Cave Entrance that Nobody has Entered for 16,000 Years found in Germany

4 August 2023

4 August 2023

Researchers report they have discovered the official entrance to an Ice Age cave near Engen, Germany, that nobody has entered...

A new temple was discovered in the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon

17 August 2022

17 August 2022

Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reports that archaeologists have discovered a new temple at Perperikon. Perperikon, an archaeological complex located at...

1,800-Year-Old Roman Victory Goddess Relief Discovered Near Hadrian’s Wall at Vindolanda Fort

21 May 2025

21 May 2025

A rare and symbolically powerful Roman sandstone relief depicting Victoria, the goddess of Victory, has been unearthed at the Vindolanda...

Ancient Baekje Tombs in Korea Unearth Gold Ornaments and Pottery Treasures

31 August 2025

31 August 2025

A major archaeological discovery has been made in Jeongeup, South Korea, where the Eunsun-ri and Dogye-ri tomb clusters have yielded...

Citizen scientists discover more than 1,000 new burial mounds in a Dutch archaeological project

29 January 2023

29 January 2023

A Dutch archaeological project in which thousands of amateur sleuths combed specialized maps and high resolution photographs resulted in the...

First Visual Evidence of the Milky Way Found in Ancient Egyptian Cosmological Vignettes

1 May 2025

1 May 2025

Did ancient Egyptians gaze upon the Milky Way and immortalize its form in their artwork? New research suggests this very...

Beer remains that are 9,000 years old have been discovered in China’s unique Hu pots

3 September 2021

3 September 2021

Archaeologists in southeast China have discovered evidence of beer consumption in ceramic vessels at the burial site called Qiaotou. The...

Archaeologists Discovered One of the Earliest Christian Buildings in Bahrain

14 July 2024

14 July 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered one of the earliest known Christian buildings in the Arabian Gulf, located in Samahij, Bahrain, and providing...