Hellenistic, Roman tombs unearthed in Milas

MUĞLA – Anadolu Agency

Archaeologists have uncovered seven tombs belonging to the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the ancient city of Euromos in the western province of Muğla. 

Euromos is home to one of the best-preserved temples of the ancient era, Zeus Lepsynos. The tombs have been taken under protection. 

Twenty-five academics and students from both Turkey and abroad are carrying out excavation work in the ancient city in the Selimiye neighborhood of the coastal town of Milas. 

The team is led by Abuzer Kızıl, a lecturer at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University. 

“Euromos is the most important city after Mylasa. These tombs consist of Roman and Hellenistic tiles and sarcophagi,” Kızıl said. 

He said the agora in the ancient city was one of the best-preserved and rare artifacts in Anatolia. 

Stating that works had been continuing in Euromos for a few years, Kızıl said this year they found the tombs during the works carried out for the welcome center. 

“We obtained very important information in the tombs and now we work on the documentation works,” he said. 

Kızıl said the tombs were found on the roadside on the Milas-Söke highway, adding: “The tombs are located in the southern necropolis. They date back to the Roman, late Roman and Hellenistic eras. Considering a ceramics found in a tomb, we can say that they go back to even the Archaic era.”

Euromos 

The ancient city of Euromos, dating back to 5 B.C., contains several interesting buildings, including the temple of Zeus Lepsinos from the Roman times during the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian between 117 and 138. 

The temple of Zeus Lespinos, dedicated to the Greek god, stood at the foothill. 

Excavations in Euromos were first carried out by Turkish archaeologists in the 1970s and still continue.