At excavations in the Stratonikeia Ancient City, known as the “City of Gladiators” in the Yatağan district of Muğla, southwestern Türkiye, about one-third of all artifacts uncovered are from the Turkish period, according to the excavation director.
Year-round excavation, restoration and conservation work continues at the site in Eskihisar Neighborhood, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List.
Stratonikeia and Lagina archaeological site excavation head professor Bilal Söğüt told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Stratonikeia is among the rare settlements showing traces of uninterrupted habitation from antiquity through the Republican era.
Söğüt said this year’s work is focused on the ancient library, theater, bath complexes and Turkish-period structures, with ongoing efforts to reveal traces of settlement and daily life spanning from antiquity to the present.
He said last year the team uncovered 1,115 artifacts, all of which were delivered to the Muğla Museum. Work this year has begun at a similar pace and efficiency.
He added that excavation and mosaic conservation work continues in the library, described as one of the most distinctive examples among ancient libraries in terms of architectural analogy. Work is also ongoing in the council building ("Bouleuterion"), its surrounding area and bath structures. He noted that a third bath complex had been discovered in Stratonikeia last year and this year’s work will further deepen exploration in that area.
Söğüt said the artifacts discovered include objects made of marble, terracotta, metal, glass and bone, offering insight into daily life as well as commercial and social activity during the periods in which they were used.
He emphasized that jewelry reflecting the social position of women in antiquity forms an important category of finds.
“At least one-third of the artifacts belong to the Turkish period,” Söğüt said, adding that ongoing excavations cover structures from the Menteşe Beylik, Ottoman and Republican periods. He also noted that artifacts from the Seljuk, Alaiya, Saruhanoğulları, Candaroğulları, Aydınoğulları and Menteşe Beylik periods have been uncovered.
He said all artifacts transferred to the museum undergo conservation and restoration and are delivered in exhibition-ready condition.
Söğüt added that excavation work has revealed a previously unidentified library structure, which he described as one of the notable examples of ancient architecture in Anatolia due to its plan and design.
He said the mosaics uncovered in the library are approximately 1,600 years old and include early Byzantine inscriptions. These inscriptions indicate that a bishop of the period supported the construction of the mosaics.
The mosaics feature primarily geometric and floral motifs made with multicolored stones, Söğüt said.
He added that the team is working to open the library area to visitors so they can walk through and experience its historical atmosphere.
