2,000-Year-Old Main Road in Aspendos, Türki Successfully Excavated

The ancient city of Aspendos, Antalya, Türki. (Wikimedia Commons - Сашка Денисов)

JAKARTA - A nearly 2,000-year-old main road connecting the theater to the acropolis was discovered in the ancient city of Aspendos, Antalya, Turkey. Excavations also revealed a drainage system, a two-story store, a bakery, and traces of trade with the Eastern Mediterranean.

Anadolu Agency quoted Tuesday, July 21, saying that about 300 meters of the ancient road had been excavated. Aspendos is one of the important cities in the coastal region of Pamphylia.

The excavation has been underway since 2022 under the leadership of Afyon Kocatepe University archaeologist Mustafa Bilgin. The work is now being accelerated through the Heritage for the Future project of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Bilgin said the work on Jalan Teater was almost complete after two years of excavation.

"Visitors can now walk from the theater to the acropolis through the ancient road. In the past, this road was one of the busiest transportation routes in Aspendos," he said.

Akropolis is a high area that is the center of important buildings in the ancient city.

Along the road, the team uncovered public buildings, residential houses, monumental gates, and a bakery that is still well-preserved.

The road has a width of between 3 to 5 meters. Around 1 meter below there is a drainage system.

According to Bilgin, the road stones are arranged according to the slope of the land. This arrangement makes the surface not shift even if an earthquake occurs.

Excavations in the East Field also found remains of a mosaic building.

Outside the eastern city gates, the team uncovered a necropolis or ancient burial area. A tomb from the classical era shows that the site has been used as a burial site since the late fifth century BC.

Phoenician coins and glass perfume bottles also open a picture of Aspendos trade. The objects were found in a two-storey shop and a stoa or roofed corridor complex.

According to Bilgin, the findings show the trade relations of Aspendos with the Eastern Mediterranean region, including ancient Syria and Palestine.

The bread-making place found also gives an insight into the daily life and architecture of the people of Aspendos in the past.