28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

In Parion, one of the most important cities of the Troas region, 2,000-year-old mother-child graves were unearthed

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Parion, the most important harbor city in the Hellenistic era, have uncovered  2,000-year-old graves of a mother and child.

Parion, also known as Parium, was a Greek city on the border between the historical lands of Troad and Mysia. Parion was an important harbor for the surrounding settlements in ancient times.

Parion, where the first systematic excavations started in 2005, has been understood to be one of the most important cities of the Troas region with the excavations carried out for 11 years and the archaeological findings.

Today the center of the ancient city is located within the borders of Kemer Village of Biga District of Çanakkale Province.

Archaeological surveys, excavation, and restoration of Parion Ancient City have been undertaken by teams led by Professor Vedat Keleş from the Archeology Department of the Ondokuz Mayıs University.

Professor Vedat Keleş of Ondokuz Mayız University’s Archaeology Department and the head of the excavations in Parion said that they determined one of the graves belonged to a woman and the other belonged to a child between 9 and 11 months old.

Photo: DHA

The excavations for this year began in April with the approval of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, and the assistance of the Turkish Historical Society.

Highlighting that the excavations are focused on the four different sections, Keleş said: “The first is the Roman bath, the second is the theater, the agora and the shops while our work continues in the southern necropolis. So far, we have inventoried 100 items and conducted nearly 1,000 studies. The artifacts will be handed over to the Troy Museum at the end of the process.”

“We are starting to understand the importance of Parion for the region, especially during the Roman period because it had two ports with rich hinterland and played a very active role as one of the most important waterways of the ancient times,” he added.

Stating that the southern necropolis of the city was used from the sixth century B.C. to the fourth century, Keleş said: “Nearly 25 graves have been opened so far during this year’s work. These two graves are quite important as they are cremation tombs. Also, various terracotta pots, tear bottles and two rattles have been found in the tombs. Next to them, there are Eros figures showing that it is an abundant tomb. These graves are very important for us as they provide new data about the burial customs.”

Parion (Parium) Ancient City.

“For the first time, we encountered brick tombs here. Therefore, it is an extremely important site. We also collected some coins that had been placed on the mouth of the dead or on the side of their hands and knees as a toll to Charon,” he added.

Charon, the son of Erebus and Nyx, was tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead across the rivers Styx and Acheron in Greek mythology.

Parion became a Greek city under Persian rule in 546 BC. When Alexander the Great invaded Asia Minor in 334 BC, Parion came under his control.

The city’s theatre, odeion, and baths can be accepted as solid proofs of this situation. Parion, which became a Christian city in the 5th century AD, is thought to have been an important Bishopric centre during the Byzantine period due to the presence of various priests who were sent here. An important detail about the city’s Christian period is that it became the Archbishopric Centre during the reign of Emperor Constantine Porphyrogennetos (911-959 AD).

Related Articles

In Egypt, archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old Sun temple.

16 November 2021

16 November 2021

Archaeologists discovered an ancient Sun temple in the Egyptian desert that dates back 4,500 years. The remains were discovered under...

After 85 years of adventure, Globetrotting Mycenaean gold ring returns home

3 June 2022

3 June 2022

The 3,000-year-old gold Mycenaean ring, stolen from the Rhodes Archaeological Museum during World War II and later bought by a...

Ancient winery site uncovered in China’s Hebei

5 January 2022

5 January 2022

In northern China’s Hebei region, an ancient winery going back 400 years to the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties...

Archaeologists Uncovered a Terracotta Commander and Warriors at the Mausoleum of China’s First Emperor

12 January 2025

12 January 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare 2,000-year-old statue depicting a high-ranking military commander at the famous Terracotta Army site in China:...

HS2 archaeologists discover Romanization of Iron Age village in Britain

12 January 2022

12 January 2022

Archaeologists have uncovered a vast Roman trading town on Britain’s HS2 high-speed rail route. Evidence found during a dig of...

Archaeologists Uncover Upper Part Colossal Statue of Ramses II

4 March 2024

4 March 2024

The joint Egyptian-American Archaeological Mission unearthed the upper part of the colossal statue of Ramses II (Ramesses), the lower part...

7500-year-old cursed city of Iran

17 March 2023

17 March 2023

Sialk Hills, located in the southwestern part of Kashan city in Iran, was known among the locals as a ‘cursed...

Unexpected finds under the Tel Aviv Suburban

21 August 2021

21 August 2021

In preparation for a planned residential building project in suburban Tel Aviv, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have begun...

Celtiberian Inscription Found at La Peña del Castro: One of the Earliest Examples of Alphabetic Writing in Northern Iberia

26 February 2025

26 February 2025

La Ercina, León, Spain – Archaeological research at the La Peña del Castro site has unveiled an important discovery that...

The Oldest Semicircular Classroom in the Greek World Unearthed in Sicily

21 April 2025

21 April 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough in southern Sicily, an international team of researchers has uncovered an extraordinary ancient classroom that...

A Child’s Skeleton was Unearthed During the Tozkoparan Mound Excavations

12 August 2021

12 August 2021

The skeleton of a child was unearthed during the rescue excavations carried out in the Tozkoparan mound located in Tozkoparan...

A cave in Argentina houses the oldest known pigment-based rock art in South America

15 February 2024

15 February 2024

An astounding collection of almost 900 rock paintings, dating back approximately 8,200 years, has been discovered in northwestern Argentina. The...

Karahantepe will shed light on the mysteries of the Prehistoric period

7 October 2021

7 October 2021

Karahantepe’s ancient site, which is home to Neolithic-era T-shaped obelisks similar to the ones in the world-famous Göbeklitepe, will reveal...

The inhabitants of Pınarbaşı Höyük in central Turkey may be the ancestors of the Boncuklu Höyük and Çatalhöyük neolithic human communities

27 July 2022

27 July 2022

The Department of Excavations and Researchs, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey, attracted...

The Big Universe Coming Out from the Dust “in Esna Temple”

7 February 2021

7 February 2021

While the Esna Temple has been waiting to renew and breathe again for a long time, it has recently experienced...