Stone pit found in ancient city of Tabea

DENİZLİ – Anadolu Agency

An approximately 2,000 year-old stone pit has been discovered in the ancient city of Tabea in the western city of Denizli’s Kale district. 

The municipal teams, which were trying to get fill material for a touristic castle under construction on the Kepez Hill, found a field with steps in the region. 

Head of ancient Tabea excavations and Pamukkale University (PAU) History Department Associate Professor Mustafa Beyazıt made examinations and determined the field could have been an ancient stone pit. 

Beyazıt said the stone types in the stone pit are the same with the stone blocks in the ancient city of Tabea.

“We thought this field could not have been a theater. The steps on the rocks made us think this place could be a historic stone pit. We believe it dates back 2,000 years. We informed the Denizli Museum Directorate to make the field an archaeological site,” he said.

Beyazıt said they found column pieces and stone blocks from different periods, adding that the field had served as a stone pit for a very long time. 

Lab analyses 

Beyazıt said laboratory analyses still continue to determine the exact history. “In case the area is declared an archaeological site and excavations continue here, we will create an environment to take visitors back 2,000 years ago,” he said.

PAU Geology Engineering Department Professor Halil Kumsar said the ancient stone pits cover a very large area and their geological examinations show the type of stones there were argillaceous limestone.

Kumsar said ancient Tabea was established on limestone.

“The tissue of the rocks in Tabea is the same with the ones in the ancient stone pit. The findings will be examined under microscope and their physical and mechanic features will be revealed. We can learn how long these stones were used in Tabea and whether they were used in any other ancient site around. Of course, we need budget and support to do it,” he said.