11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Unique 2700-year-old mosaics unearthed in illegal excavations

Two 2700-year-old mosaics, which are thought to belong to a Roman rich man and symbolize magnificence, were found in a house-shaped compartment 10 meters below the ground in the Konak district of Izmir.

İzmir Police Department Anti-Smuggling Branch Cultural and Natural Assets Smuggling Bureau teams have learned that illegal excavations were carried out in the garden of a residence close to the historical Kemeraltı Bazaar and Agora Ruins, between narrow streets where vehicles cannot enter.

After a month-long follow-up, the teams, which carried out an operation at the determined address, caught 3 people who were trying to take out the historical remains about 10 meters below the ground by digging a tunnel.

As a result of the examinations, two mosaics of 178×171 centimeters and 2 plinth fluted columns with a length of 2 meters, belonging to the early Roman period covering the years 753-509 BC, were found in the area descended from a well by a ladder.

İllegal excavations
Two 2700-year-old mosaics, which are thought to belong to a Roman rich man and symbolize magnificence, were found in a house-shaped compartment 10 meters below the ground in the Konak district of Izmir. Photo: AA

It was stated that the mosaics with two human figures with a rooster in their hands are usually found in the halls of the houses, symbolizing magnificence and wealth.

The area where the mosaics, which are said to be uncommon in the world, are found, has been taken under protection.

The suspects, landlord A.E, tenant M.C., and H.S. He was taken to the police station for deposition.

 After the police gave information, experts from the Izmir Archaeological Museum conducted research in the region.
After the police gave information, experts from the Izmir Archaeological Museum conducted research in the region. Photo: AA

It was learned that the suspects, in their statements, said that they dug the garden of the house to extract water, and as a result, they found mosaics and columns. The suspects’ proceedings are continuing.

After the police gave information, experts from the Izmir Archaeological Museum conducted research in the region.

Related Articles

Archaeologists Discovered a Fragmentary Inscription in Cypriot Syllabary Found Dating to the Cypro-Archaic Period

1 December 2024

1 December 2024

During excavations at Palaepaphos, located within the municipal boundaries of the modern village of Kouklia-Martsello on the southwest coast of...

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...

600 Years Old Sword and Equipment Found in Olsztyn

22 April 2021

22 April 2021

Aleksander Miedwiediew, a history buff, and detectorist discovered a bare sword, a sheath, and a knight’s belt with two knives...

490-Million-Year-Old Trilobites Could Solve Ancient Geography Puzzle

22 November 2023

22 November 2023

The humble trilobites may be extinct, but even as fossils, they can teach us much about our planet’s history. Indeed,...

Archaeologists uncovered a second mosaic in Rutland Roman villa in England

29 November 2022

29 November 2022

Archaeologists report they have uncovered a second mosaic at the site of the 2020 mosaic discovery at the Roman villa...

Anchorage’s Indigenous History: A 1000-Year-Old Dene Cache Found Near Cook Inlet

24 January 2025

24 January 2025

In June 2024, archaeologists from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Northern Land Use Research Alaska discovered a birch bark-lined cache...

Turkey’s Taş Tepeler marks the beginning of civilization

14 October 2021

14 October 2021

There is still plenty to learn about the Neolithic Age!  The vast land of Taş Tepeler, which houses other sites...

One of the largest mass burial pits ever discovered in the UK has been unearthed next to Leicester Cathedral

21 November 2024

21 November 2024

While excavating the gardens of Leicester Cathedral for the future construction of a learning center, archaeologists uncovered one of the...

Archaeologists reveal 4,000-year-old rock-cut tomb, artifacts in Saqqara

8 January 2024

8 January 2024

A team of Egyptian and Japanese archaeologists has unveiled a rock-cut tomb believed to be more than 4,000 years old...

An Avar Warrior Buried with Lamellar Armor and Equipment Discovered in Hungary

3 February 2024

3 February 2024

Archaeologists of the Déri Museum in Debrecen (eastern Hungary) found the tomb of a fully armed and with a complete...

A 2000-year-old wooden figure was unearthed in a Buckinghamshire ditch

13 January 2022

13 January 2022

An extremely rare, carved wooden figure from the early Roman era has been discovered in a waterlogged ditch during work...

1400-Year-Old Folding Chair Found in a Woman’s Grave in Germany

30 August 2022

30 August 2022

In Steinsfeld, in the German state of Ansbach, archaeologists have unearthed a 1,400-year-old folding chair from an early medieval woman’s...

Lost sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci show that he understood gravity long before Newton

19 February 2023

19 February 2023

Leonardo da Vinci’s centuries-old sketches show that he may have understood key aspects of gravity long before Galileo, Newton, and...

Restoration of Türkiye’s 2,000-year-old King’s Daughter Roman bath nears completion

1 August 2023

1 August 2023

The 2,000-year-old Roman bathhouse Basilica Therma or King’s Daughter in Türkiye’s central Yozgat province is nearing the final stages of...

Experts believe the 7,000-year-old circular stone structures were once houses, complete with doorways and roofs in Saudi Arabia

16 July 2024

16 July 2024

Archaeologists have excavated eight ancient “standing stone circles” in Saudi Arabia that they say were used as houses. Eight of...