9 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Illegal digs reveal rare Roman-era mass grave in Turkey

A total of 27 skeletons were found in a burial pit carved into the rocks in Adıyaman province, an important culture, and tourism city in Southeast Turkey.

The finds came to light after locals notified authorities of an illegal dig by treasure hunters in a rural part of the Gölbaşı district.

The incident occurred in the Örenli village of Gölbaşı district of Adıyaman. It turned out that the 1,700-year-old historical burial chamber, the entrance part of which was opened by treasure hunters with construction equipment and illegal excavations, was a mass grave.

While the first findings showed that the burial chamber of about 10 square meters from the Roman Period was 1,700 years old, archaeologists took the findings into the examination.

İHA PHOTO

Adıyaman Museum Directorate officials encountered an interesting situation during their excavation in the tomb belonging to the Roman Period, which was destroyed by treasure hunters. 27 Skeletons were found in the room with only 1 rock tomb.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Regarding this unusual situation, Museum Directorate officials stated that such a number of skeletons had never been seen in a chamber tomb before.

Along with skeletons, broken lachrymatory bottles, a staple of ancient Roman tombs, and three intact spindle whorls, usually found in ancient graves of women, were discovered in the grave.  The skeletons found in the burial chamber were cleaned and brought to the Adıyaman Museum Directorate.

Experts examine skulls found in the grave, in Adıyaman, eastern Turkey. İHA PHOTO

While suspects are still at large, an investigation into the unlawful excavation is being conducted.

The history of Adıyaman, which is one of the oldest settlements in the world, dates back to the first ages. It has been home to the Hittites, Mittans, Urartians, Assyrians, Med, and Komagene Kingdoms throughout history. It was dominated by the Great Seljuk Empire in the 11th century and later by the Anatolian Seljuk State.

Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Turkish-Islamic works can be seen in the region. The Romans arrived in the Adıyaman region around 72 A.D.

Cover Photo: İHA

Related Articles

Ancient Walled Oases Unveiled in Saudi Arabia Reveal 4,000 Years of Desert Settlement

30 June 2025

30 June 2025

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery has revealed a vast network of ancient walled oases in the Arabian Desert, dating back over...

Archaeologists Uncover Sak-Bahlán: The Lost “Land of the White Jaguar,” Last Stronghold of Rebel Maya in Chiapas

31 July 2025

31 July 2025

Deep in the rainforest of Chiapas, Mexico, archaeologists believe they have uncovered the lost city of Sak-Bahlán, known as the...

Ritual Sacrifice of Pregnant Woman: Ecuador may Reflect the Community’s Fear of Her Power

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find in Ecuador, researchers have uncovered the rich burial of a pregnant woman and her fetus,...

Rare 6th-Century BCE Wash Basin ‘Louterion’ Discovered in Malta

11 September 2024

11 September 2024

Archaeological investigations, initiated by a proposal to build a 130-meter-long boulder revetment along the shore of Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk to...

A 2100-year-old inscription found İn Türkiye: Antiochos of Commagene calls on the people to ‘obey and respect the law’

15 March 2024

15 March 2024

The ancient inscription found near Kımıldağı (Kımıl Mount) in Önevler village of Adıyaman’s Gerger district in 2023 will shed light...

Human Activity on Curaçao Began Centuries Earlier Than Previously Believed

28 March 2024

28 March 2024

New research co-led by Simon Fraser University and the National Archaeological Anthropological Memory Management (NAAM Foundation) in Curaçao extends the...

Ancient Tomb of Nomadic Horse Lord Yields Untouched Treasures and Weapons

2 May 2025

2 May 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery near Grozny has unearthed an undisturbed Alanian tomb dating back over two millennia, revealing a wealth...

Remarkably Preserved Bronze Age Urns, Thousands of Years Old, Unearthed in Germany

13 May 2025

13 May 2025

What appeared to be an ordinary stretch of County Road 17 between the towns of Moisburg and Immenbeck has turned...

Lead Glass Jewelry was Mass-Produced in Medieval Poland from Local Raw Material

7 April 2025

7 April 2025

Recent archaeological research has unveiled significant insights into the mass production of lead glass jewelry in medieval Poland, confirming that...

Ancient stone grenades discovered at Badaling Great Wall in Beijing

16 October 2023

16 October 2023

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed 59 ancient stone grenades from the ruins of a building in the western section of the...

An 8500-year-old wooden ladder remain was discovered at Çatalhöyük

12 April 2022

12 April 2022

Remains of the wooden ladder were discovered for the first time in Çatalhöyük, one of the best-preserved Neolithic settlements in...

In Jerusalem, a 2700-year-old private toilet from the First Temple era was unearthed

5 October 2021

5 October 2021

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered a private toilet from the First Temple Period on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem,...

20-Year Mystery Solved: Roman Marble Head in Crimea Identified as Laodice, the Woman Who Secured Her City’s Freedom

15 September 2025

15 September 2025

An international team of archaeologists and scientists has finally solved a mystery that began more than two decades ago. In...

Tombs of Queens of Commagene Detected

23 September 2021

23 September 2021

The graves built by Commagene King Mithritades II (36-21 BC) for his mother Isias, his sister Antiokhis, and Antiochis’s daughter...

Ancient Well Dating Back to 7th Century AD Discovered on Failaka Island

18 March 2025

18 March 2025

An ancient well, dating back to the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods, has been discovered on Failaka Island, providing valuable...