29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Roman-era marble sundial found for the first time in Turkey’s second Ephesus

Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman-era marble sundial in the ancient city of Aizanoi in the Çavdarhisar district of Kütahya province in Turkey’s Aegean region.

Aizanoi ancient city is in the Çavdarhisar township, 57 kilometers from Kütahya’s city center. Dubbed as the “Second Ephesus” – another iconic ancient city in Turkey – the site joined the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012.

The sundial dates to the early imperial period, about 2,000 years ago, and is the first sundial found at Aizanoi. Made of white marble, the sundial is almost intact with only a few missing fragments. It measures 18 inches high by 17 inches wide and is in excellent condition, with all of its original lines and inscriptions. The dial curves over an acanthus leaf base on top of an animal paw pedestal.

The sundial was discovered during an excavation of Roman bridges and bank walls on the river (the Penkalas in antiquity; now known as the Kocaçay) that ran through the ancient city of Aizanoi.

Photo: AA

In antiquity, sundials were installed in public spaces like the city agora or temple precinct so people could tell time, serving as town timekeepers.



📣 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!!



A day was divided into periods in Roman timekeeping based on the available technology. Initially, the day was divided into two parts: ante meridiem (before noon) and post meridiem (after noon). With the advent of the sundial circa 263 BC, the period of the natural day from sunrise to sunset was divided into twelve hours.

The sundial was imported from Sicily in 263 BC. Sundials were used to calibrate water clocks. Sundials, also known as shadow clocks, had the drawback of only operating in bright sunlight and requiring seasonal and latitude-dependent calibration.

Excavations carried out by Kütahya Dumlupınar University (DPU) continue under the direction of Professor Gökhan Çoşkun.

Photo: AA

Excavation coordinator Professor Gökhan Coşkun of Dumlupınar University told that the work in Aizanoi, a site that dates back 5,000 years, was carried on without interruption with 100 workers and 27 technical personnel.

Coşkun said the excavations were carried out mainly in the bed of Koca Çay as part of the Penkalas project.

The ultimate goal of the project is to raise the water level of the river enough to run boats between the two bridges. Since 2019, archaeologists have been removing stones, sculptures, and other architectural features that had accumulated on the riverbed and bank over the centuries. So far, over a thousand shaped and carved stones have been recovered, including headless statues, bodiless heads (none of which match), and blocks from bridge balustrades and parapets.

Related Articles

Archaeologists Unearth Carolingian Silver Treasure Hoard

6 May 2021

6 May 2021

A silver treasure hoard from the 9th century AD has been discovered in Poland‘s Osa and Drwęca basin. The hoard...

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...

Library Wars in the Old Age!

12 February 2021

12 February 2021

One of, the world’s oldest and largest library, the other was born 100 years later as a rival to it....

The 1,800-year-old ‘Iron Legion’ Roman Legionary Base uncovered at the foot of Tel Megiddo

14 February 2024

14 February 2024

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced that a recent excavation at the foot of Tel Megiddo, near the ancient village...

A Gold Belt Weighing 432 Grams Unearthed During Excavations in Ani Ruins is on Display

2 July 2024

2 July 2024

The gold belt discovered 22 years ago during excavations in the ancient city of Ani, often referred to as the...

Archaeologists have unearthed a trove of artifacts at the necropolis of Saqqara

9 June 2022

9 June 2022

Archaeologists at the necropolis of Saqqara, near Cairo, have discovered a cache of 250 complete mummies in painted wooden sarcophagi...

The newly discovered fossils are 200,000 years old in Denisova Cave

29 November 2021

29 November 2021

Scientists have discovered the earliest remains of a human lineage known as the Denisovans. Researchers have identified stone artifacts connected...

Unique Iron Age Divination Spoon Found on the Isle of Man

21 February 2025

21 February 2025

A unique bronze spoon, dating back 2,000 years and believed to have played a role in divination rituals, has been...

A metal detectorist unearthed a Roman silver “ligula” or “Toilet Spoon” in Wales

30 January 2024

30 January 2024

A metal detectorist in Wales unearthed a Roman silver “ligula”, commonly known as a “toilet spoon”. The discovery, made in...

Floor Mosaic of the Early Byzantine Period Unearthed in St Constantine and Helena Monastery Church in Ordu

12 August 2024

12 August 2024

Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported that an in-situ floor mosaic was found at the St Constantine...

2900-Year-Old Erzin Stele: A Key to Understanding the Hittite to Greek Mythological Transition

5 April 2025

5 April 2025

In a significant archaeological discovery, a basalt stele was unearthed in 1987 by O. Günay while plowing his field at...

Excavations in and around Yazıkaya, one of the monumental works of the Phrygians, start again after 71 years.

23 July 2022

23 July 2022

Archaeological excavations at Midas Castle in Yazılıkaya Midas Valley in the Han district of Eskişehir, located in northwest Turkey, will...

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),...

A 1700-year-old Roman water tunnel dug into the mountain was discovered in Adıyaman province in southeastern Türkiye

13 September 2023

13 September 2023

It was revealed that in the Besni district of Adıyaman province, located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, the...

1800-year-old marble inscription found in Turkey’s Aigai excavations deciphered

2 October 2022

2 October 2022

The 1800-year-old inscription, consisting of 3 pieces of marble, found in the excavations in the ancient city of Aigai in...