Excavations at the ancient city of Teos, located on the western coast of present-day Turkey, unveiled new findings that shed light on the city's evolution through the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Led by Professor Mantha Zarmakoupi from the University of Pennsylvania, the archaeological work uncovered discoveries beneath layers of soil, including at least two mosaics dating back to the third century BCE, as well as monumental inscriptions and well-preserved buildings.
"Every piece of this process has been revealing itself like an onion. It peels off, and another thing arrives," said Zarmakoupi, as reported by Phys.org. Over four seasons of fieldwork, her team focused on the bouleuterion, a well-preserved city council building that served as a center for civic decision-making and played a crucial role in the political and social life of Teos.
The bouleuterion of Teos was built in the late third century BCE during the Hellenistic period and originally served as a gathering place for civic decisions. It featured tiered seating that could accommodate several hundred people, allowing many politicians and citizens to participate in gatherings, as noted by Enikos. "This building is extremely important for understanding the ancient communities that were living here and their institutions," said Peter Satterthwaite, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Ancient History working with Zarmakoupi, as reported by Phys.org.
During the Roman period, the bouleuterion was adapted for theatrical uses, including the addition of a stage structure and a three-sided portico, and was repurposed for public performances rather than political meetings. These architectural changes reflect how the bouleuterion's role shifted over time in Teos' society.
One of the discoveries is a partially erased monumental inscription on a fallen architrave block. While examining these blocks, Musa Kadioglu, director of the Teos Archaeological Project, noticed faded markings, including a 30-centimeter-high inscription that had been deliberately erased, possibly for political or social reasons. We did some detective work to put them together," Zarmakoupi said.
Using 3D modeling technology, Zarmakoupi's team reconstructed the façade of the bouleuterion and restored the erased dedicatory inscription. Researchers believe the partially erased inscription originally honored a group of Dionysian artists, a powerful collective of performers and musicians who were once central to the city's identity. The erased inscription likely indicates a desire to distance the city from the contributions of the expelled Dionysian artist guild.
"The fact that it's erased is a clue to another chapter in the city's history, in which they no longer wanted to commemorate that person or his involvement in the project," explained Satterthwaite.
Teos has long been associated with its famous temple to Dionysos, the Greek god of wine and theater. One of the mosaics features two cupids engaged in combat, which connects to Dionysos, the god of wine and the city's patron deity.
"There's this feeling of euphoria. You're like, 'Oh my god, there's something really there,'" Zarmakoupi said, describing the moment she found the mosaics, as reported by Phys.org. Despite challenges such as extreme heat, with summer temperatures reaching 100°F (38°C), the international team of archaeologists began work at dawn to avoid the scorching Mediterranean sun, arriving at the site each day by 6 a.m. In the afternoons, the team moved inside to catalog artifacts and analyze data, according to the same source.
After several years of work, the team was able to pinpoint the timeline for the bouleuterion and its architectural additions, and future excavations aim to refine this timeline and confirm the significance of the lost text. "After four seasons of fieldwork, our research is beginning to shed light on the complex history of the bouleuterion and the once-grand city that surrounded it," said Zarmakoupi.
Today, the bouleuterion ruin consists of the exterior building's wall, sloping curvilinear stone seating, and dismantled architectural pieces that dot an overgrown landscape. Few people have inhabited the area of Teos since the third century CE, and nothing was built atop the site, providing archaeologists a unique opportunity for discovery.
"This building is extremely important for understanding the ancient communities that were living here and their institutions," Satterthwaite emphasized. He highlighted the bouleuterion's significance as the heart of democratic political decision-making in Teos.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
