Lion statue of Hellenistic period unveiled in NW Turkey

By Murat Yuksel

CANAKKALE, Turkey (AA) - Turkish archaeologists in northwestern Turkey unearthed a 2,200-year-old lion statue of the Hellenistic period in the ancient city of Assos, head of the excavation team said.

Nurettin Arslan, a professor who also heads the archeology department at Onsekiz Mart University in Canakkale, told Anadolu Agency that the excavations in Assos, one of the most important port cities of antique age, started with a team of 25 people in July, adding that the seasonal works will end next month.

The sculpture of lion was discovered in excavations of a complex which used to be an inn during that period, he said.

Excavations were also carried in agoras, or ancient city centers of Byzantine structures, added Arslan.

A 1,500-year-old stone oven dating back to Eastern Roman (Byzantine) period was also unveiled during the excavations in the area.

"One of the structures contained a finding which was used at that time as a cooking stove with three pots," he said.

He noted that the well-preserved stove illuminates the daily life of the Byzantine era.

Turkish archeologists have been carrying out uninterrupted excavation work in the ancient city since 1981, after the American researchers began their work in the area in the 1800s.

Assos, situated on a rocky hill overlooking the Aegean Sea in northwestern province Canakkale, has been home to many societies for centuries, while nowadays it is a popular destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists each year with its antique theater, agora, necropolis and ancient walls.

The site, located 17 kilometers (11 miles) south of Ayvacik district, was accepted in the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage on April 15, 2017.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara