Excavations at Ancient Turkish City of Smyrna Uncover Hidden Theater, Wall Paintings, and Mysterious Water Channel
A new dig at the 1,500-year-old site in Izmir has revealed previously unknown rooms, artwork, and a Roman-era channel whose origin remains unclear.
What happened
Archaeologists conducting excavations at Smyrna in Izmir's historic center, working on behalf of Izmir Katip Celebi University with permission from Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, discovered three previously hidden rooms, a Late Antiquity theater, and ancient wall paintings around the Agora and theater area. Two of the newly found rooms contained mosaic floors while a third featured a marble floor. The team also traced roughly 150 yards of a Roman-era water channel during excavations, but has not yet located its source despite typical Roman channels being connected to natural springs. Prof. Dr. Akin Ersoy, head of the excavations, dated the site to between the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. based on structural changes that occurred regionally after the Roman Empire's division in the late 4th century, placing the discoveries in the Late Antiquity period.
Context
The findings offer new insights into how Smyrna transformed away from Roman influence during the Late Antiquity period. The architectural features of the newly discovered structures share similarities with the Terrace Houses at Ephesus, suggesting they may have served public functions rather than private residential use. The previously unknown wall paintings and hidden rooms represent the first such discoveries in the Smyrna Agora according to the excavation team, indicating that earlier excavations at the same site had missed significant features. The unexplained water channel—which does not appear to lead to any identified natural spring despite 150 yards of tracing—presents a puzzle for future research, with investigators suggesting a spring source may lie south of the excavation area.