Archaeologists have uncovered 13 inscriptions, new statue bases and a marble portrait of Antinous, a close companion of Roman Emperor Hadrian, during ongoing excavations at the ancient city of Teos in the Seferihisar district of Izmir, western Türkiye.
The excavations are being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ankara University's Department of Archaeology, with support from Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
Center for the arts
Teos is known for hosting the Guild of Dionysian Artists, an association of poets, actors and musicians, in the third century B.C. The city's strong artistic tradition earned it a reputation as a center for the arts in antiquity.
Excavations in 2026 have focused on the Temple of Roma and Augustus. Following work along the temple's southern, eastern and northern sides, archaeologists have also investigated its western side.
The excavation team identified new statue bases around the temple. The bases are believed to have supported statues, though the identities of the people they depicted remain unknown.
On the paved square in front of the temple, archaeologists also discovered architectural blocks taken from older structures and reused as foundation stones. The 13 inscriptions found on these blocks are believed to offer valuable insights into the city's early political and social relations.
Professor Musa Kadıoğlu, head of the excavations at Teos, said the team had identified additional statue bases around the temple.
He noted that the bases must once have held statues honoring prominent individuals, although it remains unclear who they were.
Kadıoğlu also highlighted the significance of the inscriptions on architectural blocks reused from earlier buildings, saying they shed light on Teos' political and social ties in its early history.
Among the inscriptions is the name of Parmenion, one of Alexander the Great's leading generals. The texts also include decisions concerning foreign judges, Kadıoğlu said.
Marble portrait of Antinous
One of the most significant finds at the Temple of Roma and Augustus is a marble portrait of Antinous, a close companion of Roman Emperor Hadrian, Kadıoğlu said.
The portrait, which is close to life-size, is particularly important given the rarity of comparable examples from Anatolia, he added.
"We found a life-size portrait of Antinous here. It is very significant because it is the only known example of this size in Anatolia,” Kadıoğlu said.
He added that, when considered alongside fragments of inscriptions, the find suggests that the site served in the second century A.D. as a sanctuary associated not only with the goddess Roma and Emperor Augustus but also with Antinous.