Centuries-old grills of ancient BBQ lovers found in western Turkey

ÇANAKKALE - Anadolu Agency

Among the findings are earth and kiln barbecues, their tools and cookers. AA photo

Pieces of grills, which date back to 2,200 years ago, have been unearthed in the ancient city of Assos in the northwestern province of Çanakkale’s Ayvacık district. The barbecues are made of earth and kiln.

The head of the excavations in the ancient city, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University member Professor Nurettin Aslan said they had found important clues that locals in the area did not fry fish and meat, but grilled them in barbecues, cooking them in a healthier way. Among the findings are earth and kiln barbecues, their tools and cookers, Aslan said, adding, “These are small portable cookers. We see that some of them have the ‘bearded Hermes’ figure.”

He said people from the ancient era were eating healthier than that of today. “Some barbecues have high carriers. They are directly out on fire. Because earth is the most fire-resistant material, all these barbecues are made of earth. They are also low-cost,” he said.

Aslan said the barbecues were all shaped by hand; some of them were round and some were rectangular in shape. “These barbecues from 2,200 years ago are, in my opinion, healthier and stronger. We think people mostly grilled fish and meat on them, because we know the locals of Assos had never eaten fried foods. They have an abundance of fish because they were living on the coastline. Last year, we found pretty functional plates, where fish was served, as well as hooks,” he said.