Archaeologists began this year’s excavations of the ancient city of Metropolis, located in western Turkey.
The team working on this year’s excavations will be headed by Associate Professor Serdar Aybek from the Trakya University Department of Archaeology.
It will include 25 students and archeologists and 35 workers, the Sabanci Foundation told media today.
The excavations in the ancient city, which boasts remains from the Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, will continue until the end of September.
What is visible from it today is primarily a heavily Romanised Hellenistic city, with Byzantine remains laid across it – a church to the east of the city, and fortification walls across city that connect to the Hellenistic defences on the Acropolis.
The city of Metropolis was first discovered by Professor Recep Meric of the Dokuz Eylul University in 1972. It has been undergoing excavations since 1989.
Archeologists have so far unearthed nearly 10,000 historical works of arts including ceramics, coins and statues.
Source: Balkan Travellers [July 20, 2010]