Assos is a tranquil Aegean-coast seaside resort situated among ancient ruins with a legacy dating back to the time of Aristotle.
Excavations continue at the Assos Ruins in the ancient city of Assos, located in the Behramkale village in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale province. The ruins are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List.
Recently, a whistle made of terracotta that is believed to be 2,000 years old dating back to the Roman era and placed in a child's grave as a gift, was discovered near the Ayazma Church during the excavations.
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University’s (ÇOMÜ) Archeology Department lecturer professor Nurettin Arslan with a team of 25 people continue excavations in the agora and gymnasium of Byzantine Period Ksenedochion (guesthouse) structures built in the Hellenistic period at the ruins. The excavations are supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish Historical Society and IÇDAŞ, Türkiye’s second-largest steel producer. Academicians and students from various universities are also taking part in the excavations.
In the examination made by the excavation team, it was determined that the bird figure made of terracotta found on the surface around the Ayazma Church is believed to be the ruins from the Roman period or before, said Arslan. In addition, they seem to be causal children's toys of the time and were placed in children's graves as a cultural ritual. This particular Roman whistle is estimated to be 2,000 years old.
Such objects were used as children's toys in ancient times and were left as gifts in children's graves. The Assos excavations are among the group of digs in the nation that is ongoing for the whole year, according to excavation director Arslan, and all work including excavation, repair, restoration and documentation is scheduled to take the local climate into account.
