Iron Age furnaces unearthed at Hierapolis

During the construction of an information center in the ancient city of Hierapolis, situated in the Pamukkale district in the western Turkish province of Denizli, 11 furnaces and pottery from the 7th century BC have been discovered.

Excavation of furnaces in the ancient city of Hierapolis 
[Credit: DHA]

Denizli Museum Director Hasan Hüseyin Baysal said the artefacts, which were found one metre deep, dated back to the Iron Age.

“The field has been surrounded with regular stones. The stones and pots are burnt. While cleaning the field, we found out that a pot was under a stone. It was broken with the pressure of the stone. We also found 11 furnace structures as well as wall remains featuring Iron Age architecture. The pots were for daily use and there were bones inside them. We also found two bronze objects in a furnace,” Baysal said.

He said that the field of the furnaces looked like a religious area for offerings.

“Excavations have been continuing east and west of the field. Considering the pots and ceramic pieces, we can say they date back to the 7th and 8th centuries. These architectural remnants and artefacts are very important because they show us an unknown period of Hierapolis,” he said.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [March 03, 2016]