9 February 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

Archaeologists discover Europe’s longest prehistoric mound in the Czechia

22 June 2024

22 June 2024

Czech archaeologists in the Hradec Králové area in East Bohemia have discovered what is probably the longest prehistoric mound in...

Unique ‘Excalibur’ Sword Found Upright in Ground Unearthed in Spain Holds Islamic Origins

26 April 2024

26 April 2024

Researchers have finally unraveled the mysteries of the historical sword discovered in Spain 30 years ago, which they named ‘Excalibur’...

Seven Roman altars multicolored in the Great Northern Museum

12 November 2021

12 November 2021

We know that the ancient world is now very colorful. But these colors weren’t just limited to robes and other...

Remains of painkillers were found in 4500-year-old vessels during excavations at Küllüoba Höyük in Turkey

20 September 2022

20 September 2022

In the excavations of the Early Bronze Age Küllüoba Höyük (Kulluoba Mound) in Eskişehir, where the first urbanization structure of...

Saudi Archaeologists have discovered a pre-Islamic Musnad inscription and a bronze bullhead

18 February 2023

18 February 2023

Saudi archaeologists have discovered the longest pre-Islamic Musnad inscription -of the ancient south Arabian script- and three gold rings and...

Roman mosaic found under the pavement in the narrow streets of Hvar

13 February 2022

13 February 2022

In the Old Town on the Adriatic island of Hvar, Croatia, a Roman mosaic was unearthed beneath a narrow street....

Rare Piece Of Metal Armor Found At 17th-Century Fort In Maryland

1 March 2024

1 March 2024

A piece of body armor was unearthed during excavations at a 17th-century colonial fort in Maryland, a Mid-Atlantic state of...

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

10 October 2023

10 October 2023

An iron trident, believed to be used for fishing, dating to the 3rd or 4th century A.D. has been discovered...

A small temple discovered in the ancient city of Selinunte, one of the largest and most important ancient Greek cities in southern Italy

9 August 2024

9 August 2024

Recent excavations in the ancient Magna Graecia city of Selinunte in southwestern Sicily have revealed the presence of a new...

With the withdrawal of Lake Van, the Urartian road to Çarpanak Island emerged

18 May 2022

18 May 2022

In Lake Van in eastern Turkey, the water level fell due to global warming, and a one-kilometer Urartian road connecting...

A 2,000-year-old wooden bridge that once linked England and Wales discovered

31 August 2023

31 August 2023

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Roman and Anglo-Saxon fortifications in the town of Chepstow in the United Kingdom. Surprisingly, however,...

Temple of Zeus Lepsynos in Turkey regains its glory

9 May 2022

9 May 2022

The temple of Zeus in the ancient city of Euromos in southwestern Turkey regains its original splendor with the revitalization...

Ötzi the Iceman Had Dark Skin, Bald Head and Anatolian Ancestry -New study rewrites ancient history

17 August 2023

17 August 2023

New DNA analysis by German researchers shows that the famous glacier mummy Ötzi may have had dark skin, dark eyes,...

Remains of a 5-year-old girl found under Real Alcázar in Spain

9 May 2021

9 May 2021

The body of a five-year-old fair-haired girl who lived in the late Middle Ages and was most likely of noble...

Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site, believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery, near the Arctic Circle

4 December 2023

4 December 2023

Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery just 50 miles (80 kilometers)...