Treasure hunters find late Roman mosaics

YOZGAT – Anadolu Agency

The late Roman mosaics were given damage by treasure hunters.

Mosaics from the late Roman era have been unearthed by an illegal excavation carried out in a wheat field in the central Anatolian province of Yozgat’s Sorgun district.

The treasure hunters, whose identities are not yet known, excavated two spots in the wheat field, which is located five kilometers away from the ruins of Kerkenes.

As a result of the illegal excavation, the treasure hunters unearthed a mosaic structure and a wall one meter under the surface of the field. They had damaged a part of the mosaic, possibly while trying to find valuable treasures that may have been hidden under the mosaics. Following an examination of the area, the Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Lütfi İbiş said legal procedures would begin for the illegal excavations. “Mosaics from the late Roman era were discovered here. We will do our best to get the region declared an archaeological area,” he said.

Yozgat Museum Director Hasan Kerim Şenyurt said research and excavations had been continuing on the right side of the Kerkenes Mount since 1993. He said the ruins of Kerkenes could be considered the largest ancient city in central Anatolia.

“The field of the illegal excavations is outside the protected archaeological site. The 240x150 centimeter mosaics have round and diamond shapes. White, green, dark and light brown colors are seen in the small stones of the mosaics. We will work with the Kerkenes excavation team to unearth these mosaics completely,” Şenyurt said.

He said they had thought of protecting the mosaics where they are currently located, but that it would not be possible and the mosaics would be carried to the museum. “The mosaics will be damaged if they remain in the open area. It will be better for them to be protected in the museum,” he said.