28 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

In the backstage of Smyrna Ancient Theater Latrina found

Interesting finds unearthed during the excavations of the 2400-year-old Ancient City of Smyrna in the Aegean region of Turkey continue to create excitement.

During the excavation of the theater of the Ancient City of Smyrna, located near the Kadifekakale district of Izmir, a latrina (toilet) was found inside the backstage.

Stating that it was seen that toilets were built for the audience around the ancient theaters, but the latrina structure in Smyrna was the first to take place backstage, the head of the excavation Assoc. Dr. Akın Ersoy said that for the first time in the Mediterranean, they witnessed a place used as a toilet in a theater stage building.

The theater and the commode date back to around the second century BC, and were used until the fifth century AD, said Akin Ersoy, an archaeologist at Izmir’s Katip Celebi University and head of the excavation team.

Smyrna Ancient city
Find of the facility within theater building, apparently meant for use of actors, is unprecedented, says head of the excavation team

Smyrna Ancient City Excavation Head, İzmir Katip Çelebi University Turkish-Islamic Archeology Department Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Akın Ersoy, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that they came across unexpected finds during the studies carried out on behalf of İzmir Katip Çelebi University and they were excited.

Stating that they came across the latrina during the excavation, Assoc. Dr. Ersoy said, “Near the theaters we know, there are latrinas that serve the audience, but it is a first for such a place to be used as a toilet in the stage building of the theater.”

The commode in the theater, around 40 centimeters (16 inches) high, has a U-shape seating arrangement and could accommodate 12-13 people at a time. Next to it is a U-shaped trough 8-10 cm (3-4 in) deep for clean water. Seating benches are mostly wooden, as in the case of Smyrna. Toilet holes are in the form of a key lock.

In the backstage of Smyrna Ancient Theater Latrina found

Scientists believe the toilet, located in a closed area, “was used by actors working in the stage building and performing in the theater,” not by audience members, said Ersoy.

Such a find in theaters in the Mediterranean region is unprecedented, he added.

On the other hand, it has been reported that the amount of support given to the excavation since 2012 by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, which is the main supporter of the excavations in the ancient city of Smyrna, exceeded 12 million liras.

The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

Related Articles

A Second temple of the Second Temple period was discovered at Migdal

13 December 2021

13 December 2021

The University of Haifa reported on Sunday the discovery of a 2,000-year-old synagogue from the Second Temple era in Migdal,...

A Detectorist has Discovered a Completely Unique Medieval Seal Matrix in the UK

2 December 2023

2 December 2023

A medieval seal die, described by experts as ‘completely unique’, has been found by a metal detector at a field...

Magnificent Romanesque and Peasant war fury in the lost Kaltenborn monastery near Allstedt

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

From the 12th to the 16th century, the Kaltenborn monastery near Allstedt was a religious, cultural, and economic center of...

Important archaeological find in the seas of Sicily: Archaic stone anchors found off Syracuse

24 November 2023

24 November 2023

During a joint operation by the Maritime Superintendency of the Sicilian Region and the Diving Unit of the Guardia di...

Archaeologists Find the “Lost” House of the Last Anglo-Saxon King Depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

A team from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the...

A 1,100-year-old lead amulet of Bulgarian soldiers sieges Constantinople found

31 March 2023

31 March 2023

A lead plate amulet bearing an inscription in Cyrillic dating from the times of Tsar Simeon the Great was discovered...

Hundreds Of Mummified Bees inside their Cocoons from the Time of the Pharaohs found in Portugal

25 August 2023

25 August 2023

Hundreds of mummified bees inside their cocoons have been found on the southwest coast of Portugal, in a new paleontological...

Christians Supplied Medieval Pagans with Horses for Sacrifice for Funeral Rituals

20 May 2024

20 May 2024

In the late medieval period, pagans in the Baltic region of northern Europe imported horses from neighboring Christian nations for...

Earliest Known Stone Mold for Coin Production in Roman Hispania Unearthed

27 March 2025

27 March 2025

Researchers from the University of Jaén have made a groundbreaking discovery at the archaeological site of Obulco, modern-day Porcuna, revealing...

Kent Archaeological Society purchased an Anglo-Saxon hoard ahead of a London auction

1 November 2022

1 November 2022

The Kent Archaeological Society has bought a large collection of Anglo-Saxon artifacts from the sixth and seventh centuries known as...

Builders of Massive 6000-year-old Menga Dolmen Likely Understood Geometry and other “Early Science” Concepts

25 August 2024

25 August 2024

Researchers say that a new analysis of the 6000-year-old stone Menga (also known as the Dolmen of Menga), supported by...

Baptismal font from the Ottonian period discovered: Oldest evidence of a quatrefoil-shaped basin north of the Alps

19 March 2024

19 March 2024

The site of a font of the medieval Ottonian dynasty, from the tenth century, has been discovered in the crypt...

Archaeological settlements dating back 3000 years found in Qurayat, Oman

2 October 2022

2 October 2022

Archaeological research in Oman’s Qurayat Province has revealed numerous archaeological and historical settlements, some dating back more than 3,000 years...

10,000-year-old Sculptures and Figurines holding Phallus of the Taş Tepeler in the southeast Turkey

17 June 2022

17 June 2022

One of the common features of male depictions with similar features found in the region called Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills),...

Ancient Elegance Revealed: Exquisite Jewelry and Amulets from the 26th Dynasty Discovered at Karnak

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

In a remarkable revelation that sheds light on ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, alongside the...