Excavation Season Begins At Capital Of Ancient Lycian Union

– Excavation works at Patara Ancient Site, the capital of Lycian Union have given start to summer term digs, in Kaş district of Turkey’s southern resort province of Antalya.

This year’s team, consisting of 20 scientists, 20 archaeology students and 20 workers, continue their excavations to dure for 2.5 months at two main zones: the Bazilika and Acropol.

Excavation in Tepecik part of the site, dating back to the third century B.C., targets to unearth ruins of housings from the Helenistic term, while the Bazilika part’s plan has been charted. The chapel will be excavated in a ‘triconcos plan’ (in the shape of a four leafed clover). The works include restoration and conservation projects, along with excavation on the farms and shops at the first and third cites that have been charted. The team is also in charge of cataloguing the stones in depots and small artefacts.

This years’ excavation works have been led by Professor Şevket Aktaş, from the Akdeniz University Archeology Department, who has taken over the position of Professor Havva İşkan Işık.

Şevket Aktaş, head of the excavation team referred to the ongoing works after 27 years, and said “We aim at contributing to Turkey archaeology and world of science, with these artefacts”.

The history of ancient site of Patara dates back to the early Bronze age, and the city had been the capital of Lycian Union until the end of the Byzantium. The first democratic parliament of the world and one of the most important ancient lighthouses in the world are situated in Patara.

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