2,000-year-old Roman tombs discovered in central Turkey

2,000-year-old tombs dating back to the ancient Roman civilization have been unearthed in Turkey's central province of Kütahya during the construction works of the new municipality service building, reports said on Thursday.

Officials of the Museum Directorate of Kütahya were informed about the discovery of the ancient tombs, and the construction stopped after archeologists took over and started working on the construction foundation at the site.

The provincial museum director Metin Türktüzün spoke to Anadolu Agency correspondent and said "three tombs have been unearthed in the excavation works."

Türktüzün noted that "according to initial findings during our observations, the tombs likely date back nearly 2,000 years. This area had probably been a necropolis."

The museum director said that the tombs date back to the Roman period and added that four or five human skeletons have been found in each tomb. He noted that other tombs are expected to be discovered around the area.

The region of Kütahya located in Anatolia has hosted ancient civilizations throughout its history. Its Greek name had been Kotyaion and was later Latinized in Roman times as Cotyaeum. It took its final name in the Ottoman times.

Besides Phrygians, who were the first communities that lived in the ancient city, Lydians, Cimmerians and Seljuk Turks are among those who had lived in Kütahya.

In the Ottoman period, the city culturally developed such that traditional mosques, architecture, and other artifacts were made in the ancient town.

Collections of arts and cultural artifacts from the neighborhoods of the Turkish city are now exhibited in the Kütahya Museum.