8 June 2023 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

Banner
Related Post

Urartian King Argishti’s shield reveals the name of an unknown country

30 January 2023

30 January 2023

The inscription on a bronze shield purchased by the Rezan Has Museum revealed the name of an unknown country. It...

Egypt discovers five 4,000-year-old ancient tombs in Saqqara necropolis

19 March 2022

19 March 2022

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced recently the discovery of five 4,000-year-old ancient tombs in the Saqqara archaeological...

Xujiayao hominid’s brain in China had the biggest known brain of the time

17 January 2022

17 January 2022

A study showed that the ancient relatives of modern humans in northern China may have had an “Einstein’s brain” at...

Dominican mission discovers 1,305-meter Greco-Roman ancient rock-cut tunnel in Alexandria

4 November 2022

4 November 2022

A Greco-Roman tunnel measuring 1,305 meters in length was discovered beneath Tapuziris Magna, an Ancient Egyptian city, by an Egyptian-Dominican...

4500-year-old tiger-patterned ritual weapon uncover in east China

4 April 2023

4 April 2023

Archaeologists discovered an extremely rare stone relic, an axe-shaped weapon used for rituals in ancient China, engraved with a tiger...

Uncovering the ritual past of ancient mustatils: Cult, herding, and ‘pilgrimage’ in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia

16 March 2023

16 March 2023

Mustatils—stone monuments from the Late Neolithic period thought to have been used for ritual purposes—have been the subject of new...

The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at a Jewish synagogue in Israel

8 August 2022

8 August 2022

The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at a Jewish synagogue at Huqoq in Israel,...

A Mysterious Partially Submerged Structure in Ireland is a Prehistoric Tomb, archaeologist says

25 October 2022

25 October 2022

New research has revealed that a mysterious structure found many years ago on the eastern shore of Cork Harbor in...

Venice of the Pacific: The mysterious Micronesian ruins of Nan Madol

12 July 2022

12 July 2022

Sometimes art and architecture challenge our perceptions of what was formerly thought to be feasible and what our forefathers were...

Roman Bath Complex Found under Spain’s Caños de Meca beach

22 May 2021

22 May 2021

A well-preserved ancient Roman bath complex emerged from the sand of a beach in the Andalusian region of southwestern Spain....

Archaeologists Uncovered a Unique Ancient Roman Winery with Marble Tiling and Fountains of Grape Juice

17 April 2023

17 April 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique ancient Roman winery at the luxurious Villa of the Quintilii, just to the south of...

Archaeologists discover 1200-year-old Wari temple complex in Peru

24 February 2023

24 February 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Illinois Chicago have uncovered a temple complex constructed by the Wari Empire 1,200 years ago...

Leptis Magna was once one of the most important African cities of the Roman Empire

28 September 2021

28 September 2021

The ancient city of Leptis Magna, as was its name in antiquity, was once one of the most prominent and...

The 1,000-year-old surgical kit found in Sican tomb, Peru

28 March 2022

28 March 2022

A set of surgical tools indicating that the deceased was a surgeon was found in a funerary bundle found in...

Iron Lady of The Bronze Age “Puduhepa”

5 May 2021

5 May 2021

Puduhepa is the daughter of a priest and at the same time a priestess who served for the goddess Ishtar. ...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *