31 March 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists unearth orchestra floor in Black Sea Region’s Ephesus

During continuing excavations in the northwestern province of Düzce, archaeologists discovered the orchestra floor of the theater area in the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium, dubbed the “Ephesus of the western Black Sea region.”

With the support of the Konuralp Museum Directorate and Düzce Municipality, excavations continue in the ancient city, which is known as the oldest settlement in the region.

Even though new structures were erected on the archaeological site, which goes back to the third century B.C., the subterranean structure was intact. This has permitted the excavation of various buildings on the site, including an ancient theater, city walls, aqueducts, and a Roman bridge.

Medusa and mask sculptures, grotesque creatures thought to be 2,000 years old, and a vault in the stage was discovered during the excavations in the theater part. The archaeologists continued their painstaking work in the theater area, reaching the orchestra floor of the theatrical department. According to their examination, the intact floor was made of mortar.

A general view of the ancient theater of Prusias ad Hypium, Düzce, northwestern Turkey
A general view of the ancient theater of Prusias ad Hypium, Düzce, northwestern Turkey. Photo: Ömer Ürer/AA

Examining the stone statues and columns that were lying on their sides and broken during the works, the experts evaluate that the works were destroyed as a result of the severe disaster as the city was in the first-degree earthquake zone.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Güldemet Yıldız Dursun, an archaeologist from Düzce Municipality Directorate of Culture, said that the theater, where archaeological work still continues, is one of the biggest structures that managed to survive for 2,000 years.

An archaeologist works on a sculpture found in Prusias ad Hypium, Düzce, northwestern Turkey.
An archaeologist works on a sculpture found in Prusias ad Hypium, Düzce, northwestern Turkey. Photo: Ömer Ürer/AA

Noting that they have documented the findings in the theater section, Dursun said the orchestra floor will be restored in line with the methods preferred by experts.

The ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium was known as “Hypios” and “Kieros” in earlier periods. It was captured by Prusias I of Bithynia, and the people of Bithynia named the city in honor of their king.

However, Bithynia went bankrupt due to the opulent lifestyle of its citizens. The people of Bithynia bequeathed the kingdom to the Romans, which started the Latin influence on the city. The city was already rich in terms of architecture but flourished more under the Romans. It became known as Prusias ad Hypium.

Related Articles

Researchers Say that Neanderthals Had the Same Hearing Capacity as Humans

1 March 2021

1 March 2021

Virtual reconstructions of Neanderthal ears show that had the same physical capacity for hearing as modern humans, and by inference...

Archaeologists made a remarkable discovery in Kosovo: Evidence that the great Byzantine Emperor was of Dardanian origin

19 August 2023

19 August 2023

A mixed team of international and local experts led by Professor Christophe J. Goddard has unearthed a monumental inscription of...

Analysis of Butchered Bones, Somerset Pit Reveals Bronze Age Cannibalism

17 December 2024

17 December 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered the bloodiest massacre in early Bronze Age Britain and evidence of Bronze Age cannibalism. It is the...

Pot Overflowing with Persian Gold Coins from 400 BC Discovered in Türkiye

4 August 2024

4 August 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Michigan have uncovered a pot of ancient Persian gold coins in the ancient city of...

The three-headed statue of Goddess Hecate discovered in Turkey’s Mersin

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

In the ancient city of Kelenderis in Mersin, located in the south of Turkey, the statue of the 3-headed goddess...

New Evidence could Change the Date People First Arrived in North America

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

While investigating the origins of agriculture, researchers made an unexpected discovery. According to an unexpected finding made by an Iowa...

The 4,500-year-old Wisconsin canoe was built around the same time that Stonehenge was being constructed

31 May 2024

31 May 2024

Historians from Wisconsin have reported the amazing finding of at least eleven prehistoric canoes in Lake Mendota, which is close...

The Oldest Known Neanderthal Engravings were Discovered in a French Cave

13 August 2023

13 August 2023

According to a recent study published, the oldest engravings made by Neanderthals have been discovered on a cave wall in...

Mustatil Structures in Arabia May Be 7,000-Year-Old Stone Remnants of Cattle Cult

1 May 2021

1 May 2021

Archaeologists examining the mustatil stone remains in the northwest of Arabia think that these stone remains may have been used...

Google Earth Helped Archaeologists Make İmportant Discoveries in Leicestershire

26 April 2021

26 April 2021

After Google Earth revealed traces of underground structures, archaeologists digging at a Roman settlement in Leicestershire say they have made...

Analysis of 13,000-Year-Old Bones Reveals Violent Raids in Prehistoric ‘Jebel Sahaba’

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Since its discovery in the 1960s, the 13-millennium-old Jebel Sahaba cemetery (Nile Valley, Sudan) has been regarded as one of...

Rare textiles and dwellings discovered in the submerged Neolithic settlement near Rome

6 June 2023

6 June 2023

Underwater archaeologists have discovered rare, well-preserved textiles, basketry, and cordage from the early Neolithic period in an area near Rome,...

An 8,500-year-old trepanned skull discovered in Çatalhöyük

23 December 2023

23 December 2023

Traces of trepanation (skull drilling operation) were found on a skull found in the 9,000-year-old Çatalhöyük, near the modern city...

3,000-Year-Old Twisted Gold Torc Discovered in Essex, southeast England

16 July 2023

16 July 2023

A metal detectorist has discovered a 3,000-year-old part of a twisted gold torc in a field near Mistley, on the...

Experts say that the Stone of Destiny was a doorstep

2 May 2024

2 May 2024

The Stone of Destiny’s recorded links to Scottish royalty date back almost 1000 years, and its origins are shrouded in...