Archaeological excavations continue across Turkey this summer

İzmir is expected to unearth a great deal of its historical heritage in 2008. In Ephesus, one of Turkey’s most popular tourist attractions, Professor Johannes Koder from the Austrian Institute of Archeology will head archaeological teams; Professor Antonio La Marca from the University of Calabria will oversee excavation in Kyme; and Professor Felix Pirson from the German Institute of Archeology will spearhead excavation in Pergamon. Teams under the supervision of Turkish excavators will also work at sites in İzmir’s Ayasuluk, Bayraklı, Limantepe, Erythrai, Klaros, Klezomenai, Metropolis, Mt. Nif, Phokaia, Smyrna Agora, Panaztepe and Yetilova.

Fourteen important excavation sites in Antalya will also see intense work for the rest of the year. On the UNESCO World Heritage List, Xanthos will host leading excavators from France, while Limyra will be excavated by Austrian archaeologists. Turkish teams are working on the Alanya and Alara castles, at Olympos, Patara, Bademağacı, Perge, Hacımusalar, Karain, Saint Nikolaos, Rhodiapolis and the Side theatre.

An archaeological team led by Swedes will be responsible for excavations in Muğla, whereas Turkish teams will carry out similar projects in Stratonikeia, Pedesa, Iasos and Tlos, Beçin Castle and Burgaz.

Excavation teams are working hard to reach historical artifacts underground even amid the scorching summer heat.

German excavation teams in Aizonai (Çavdarhisar, Kütahya) and Didyma (Aydın), Belgian teams in Pessinus (Eskişehir), Dutch teams in Bursa-Barçınhöyük, American teams at the Çadır tumulus (Yozgat), Italian teams in Tyana (Niğde) and English teams at Domuztepe (Kahramanmaraş) began excavations at the start of July.

Chief excavators from abroad will start this year’s excavations on July 15 in Troia (Çanakkale), Pompeiopolis (Kastamonu) and the Porsuk tumulus (Niğde); on July 21 in Priene (Aydın); on July 25 at the Oymaağaç tumulus (Samsun); on July 30 in Yumuktepe (Mersin); and on July 31 in Alexandria Troas (Çanakkale).

Furthermore, Elaiussa Sebaste (Mersin), the Beaded tumulus (Konya) and Doliche (Gaziantep) will be excavated by the teams of foreign chief excavators next month, followed by excavation of the Sirkeli tumulus in September.

Other excavation projects led by foreign archaeologists are:

* German teams in Boğazköy (Çorum), Göbeklitepe (Şanlıurfa) and Miletos (Aydın)

* English teams in Amorium (Emirdağ), Çatalhöyük (Konya), Kerkenesdağ (Yozgat) and Kilisetepe (Mersin)

* American teams in Aphrodisias (Aydın), Kinet tumulus (Hatay), Sardis (Manisa) and Zincirli tumulus (Gaziantep)

* Italian teams in Malatya-Aslantepe and Denizli-Hierapolis

Moreover, Austrian teams will excavate at Gordian, Japanese teams at Kalehöyük (Kırşehir), Belgian teams at Sagalassos (Burdur) and Canadians at the Tel Tayinat tumulus (Hatay).

Turkish archaeologists are planning new excavations at the Yeşilova tumulus (İzmir), the ancıent city of Tios (Zonguldak) and an iron foundry in Kırklareli.

Excavations that initiated in previous years by Turkish archaeology have been maintaining their rate of progress as well.

Excavations started this month in the cities of Çankırı-Çorakyerler, Manisa-Aigai, Balıkesir-Kyzikos and Aydın- Tralleis, and the ancient harbor city Soli Pompeiopolis.

In a couple of days, teams will start begin searching for traces of ancient sites in Karabük-Hadrianapolis, Bursa-Aktopraklık, the İznik Theater, the Kırklareli tumulus, the Niğde-Tepecik tumulus, the Amasya-Oluz tumulus, Eskişehir Şarhöyük, Kadıkalesi in Aydın and Nysa.

Other excavation sites led by Turkish chief excavators include:

Ağrı-Bozkurt Necropolis, Van-Hoşap Castle, Mersin-Oylum tumulus, Bursa-Paşalar, Artvin-Şavşat Castle, Aşıklı tumulus in Aksaray and Güvercinkayası.

While excavation will begin this year in Osmaniye-Karatepe, Turkish-led excavation projects are currently ongoing or have been completed this year at the following sites:

Hatay-Aççana, Ahlat and Bitlis Castles in Bitlis, Çorum-Alacahöyük, Erzincan-Altıntepe, Balıkesir-Antandros, Çanakkale-Assos, Ayanis Castle in Van, Pedasa, Lagina, tile stoves in Bursa, Mersin-Gözlükule and Kelenderis, Şanlıurfa-Harran, Batman- Hasankeyf, Samsun-İkiztepe, Konya-Kubad, Kayseri-Kültepe, Denizli-Laodikeia, Aydın-Magnesia, Nevşehir-Ovaören, Kütahya-Seyitömer, Çorum- Şapinuva, Adana-Tatarlı Mound, Gaziantep-Zeugma.