19 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Hellenistic cremation tomb found in Istanbul’s Haydarpasa excavations

A brick tomb belonging to the Hellenistic period (330 BC – 30 BC) was found during the Haydarpaşa excavations, which shed light on Kadıköy’s history for four years.

The discovery is the only model from that period, apart from the Hellenistic platform unearthed at the excavation site.

Since 2018, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been carrying out archaeological excavations on 300 decares square meters in Haydarpaşa and its surroundings.

The excavations, which have been continuing for nearly four years, shed light on the history of Kadikoy from the 5th century BC to the early era of the Turkish Republic.

Rahmi Asal, Director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, declared about the brick tomb unearthed during the excavations, that the sides and top of the tomb were covered.

What makes the find particularly interesting is that the tomb was used for cremation.

Hellenistic cremation tomb
What makes the find particularly interesting is that the tomb was used for cremation. Photo: AA

“This is a very significant discovery. It is the only thing from the Hellenistic period found here, apart from the Hellenistic platform previously dug up. This is very valuable. It is one of the oldest finds in this area,” he told Anadolu Agency.

According to the preliminary analysis, the body was cremated inside the tomb, but the skeleton and other remains survived the blaze and have now been unearthed, Asal explained.

He said a terracotta goblet and a perfume bottle, both of them with visible marks of fire damage, were found with the skeletal remains.

“I have never seen this type of a cremation tomb from the Hellenistic period. Perhaps this will give us many more valuable insights,” he added.

At the same area 2400 of 18 thousand coins were taken of 70,000 finds carried from the area to the workshop continues, Asal said that 18 thousand coins were identified, 2400 were taken into the inventory, and that there are around 10 thousand coins that have not been cleaned yet; “We will work on the remains next month…The site contains a very intricate group of archaeological remains and finds. Each remains was touched from time to time for different needs and Phases were formed. It is not easy to detect it either…There was a lot of intervention because the train tracks pass through here. It has become a bit difficult to identify the remains, unfortunately.”, emphasizing that the area was known as the western port of Chalcedon in ancient sources, and this was also determined by concrete documents in the excavations.

Ancient artifacts are seen at the Haydarpaşa excavation area in Kadıköy, Istanbul.  (AA Photo)
Ancient artifacts are seen at the Haydarpaşa excavation area in Kadıköy, Istanbul. Photo: AA

Asal continued: “In addition, the port and trade life, private life, shopping methods, this is a military transit point and accommodation area during the Ottoman period. We have obtained very important details and realities about this region’s history with traces, pottery and coins belonging to the periods “.

A 5th-century church built in the name of St. Bassa was also discovered last year.

Rahmi Asal affirmed too that one of the two important findings determined by the researchers from ancient sources is the Church of St. Ephemia and the other is the Church of St. Bassa.

These artifacts shed light on the history of the 15-million megapolis and the Asian district of Kadıköy, where the ancient city of Chalcedon once stood.

Related Articles

The largest marine turtle fossil of its kind ever discovered in Europe unearthed in Spain

21 November 2022

21 November 2022

In northern Spain, scientists discovered the remains of a new species of enormous marine turtle. The prehistoric creature is the...

Egyptian Pharaoh Slain in Battle Because of the Hippos

17 February 2021

17 February 2021

The mummy of Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa II, found in 1880, was re-analyzed. When it was found, the deep wounds on...

Teacher unearthed stone with ancient ogham writing from Ireland in Coventry garden

9 May 2024

9 May 2024

A geography teacher, Graham Senior, stumbled across a rock with mysterious incisions while tidying his overgrown garden in Coventry, England. ...

2,500-Year-Old Burial Site in Negev Highlands Reveals Ancient Trade Routes and Evidence of Human Trafficking

5 February 2025

5 February 2025

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday the discovery of a 2,500-year-old burial site in the Negev Highlands. This significant...

The Bronze Sacred Sanxingdui Tree Number 3 is Being Restored

9 April 2021

9 April 2021

According to the announcement of the Sanxingdui Museum, archaeologists have begun to assemble and restore the No. 3 bronze sacred...

A new study in Portugal suggests that mummification in Europe may be older than previously thought

3 March 2022

3 March 2022

New research on the hunter-gatherer burial sites in the Sado Valley in Portugal, dating to 8,000 years ago, suggests that...

The Famous Cueva de Ardales cave in Spain was used by ancient humans for over 50,000 years

8 June 2022

8 June 2022

Cueva de Ardales cave in Málaga, Spain,  famed for the extensive prehistoric art on its walls was excavated for the...

2,000-year-old bamboo slips discovered in Yunnan

31 March 2023

31 March 2023

Thousands of bamboo slips (rectangles tied together to form books) have been discovered at the Hebosuo archaeological site in southwestern...

İnkaya Cave excavations in Türkiye’s western uncovers 86,000-year-old traces of human life

22 August 2023

22 August 2023

In the excavations carried out in the İnkaya Cave in Çanakkale, located in the northwestern part of Türkiye, in addition...

Unusual Iron Age Female Grave Found in Pryssgården, Sweden

3 November 2024

3 November 2024

In an Iron Age cemetery in Sweden, archaeologists found a woman’s grave buried with a small needle and an iron...

Archaeologists are deciphering Roman history along Dere Street, one of the oldest roadways in Britain

17 July 2021

17 July 2021

Final archaeological finds uncovered as part of a major road improvement in the north of England have shed new insight...

Archaeologists have discovered a large-sized 4,000-Year-Old steppe pyramid of the Bronze Age in Kazakhstan

10 August 2023

10 August 2023

Archaeologists of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University discovered a massive Bronze Age steppe pyramid associated with a horse cult...

Artificial intelligence is Detecting New Archaeological Sites in the Arabian desert

5 October 2024

5 October 2024

A team of researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi has developed a machine-learning algorithm to help them trawl vast...

Seven metal detectorists found 2,584 silver coins in a southwest England field “the most expensive treasure ever found in the United Kingdom”

27 October 2024

27 October 2024

In early 2019, seven metal detectorists found a cache of 2,584 silver coins dating to the Norman Conquest that had...

More than 50 pairs of tweezers found during an excavation of a 2,000-year-old Roman settlement – Romans to blame for no-body-hair trend

31 May 2023

31 May 2023

More than 50 pairs of tweezers were found during the major excavation in Wroxeter City, Shropshire, one of the largest...