1102
An unexpected archaeological discovery took place in Turkey: it turned out that a stone used as a seat near a mosque in the city of Fasta is an ancient Roman artifact that is almost 2 years old.
A monument from the era of the Roman Empire, dated 239 AD, was discovered in a mosque in the city of Fatsa, Turkey. e. The unexpected discovery marks an important find in the northeastern region, revealing a Roman presence and infrastructure that once spanned all of ancient Anatolia, write Arkeonews.
Roman milestones, known as miliaria, were stone markers that played an important role in the empire's extensive road system. Spaced at intervals of one Roman mile (about 1,5 km), these signs helped travelers navigate the empire's road network, often showing the distance to the nearest towns.
Some milestones even bore the names of emperors or officials responsible for building or maintaining roads. The surviving milestones provide historians with valuable information about Roman engineering, cultural practices, and daily life during this period.
The nearly 1800-year-old landmark found an unexpected use over the years, serving as a seat outside the central Laleli Mosque in the Bolaman district of Fatsa. Literature teacher Aydin Bal from Fatsa High School was the first to notice the stone, prompting an investigation by local authorities.
The Director of Cultural Affairs of Fatsa Municipality Jevat Erbil together with Dr. Sechkin Evchim from the Department of Art History of Ordu University examined the stone and confirmed that it is an artifact of the Roman period.
The inscription on the stone, translated by Hüseyin Sami Öztürk, an expert in epigraphy and linguistics at the University of Marmara, showed that it was originally erected in honor of Emperor Gordian III. The stone marked the reconstructed section of the road.
According to Dr. Evchim, the stone was probably installed in honor of the construction of the port road connecting Bolaman and Yalikoi. Although the stone is no longer in its original location, having been moved during the construction of the mosque in the 1970s, it has been moved to the Horde Museum, where further research is planned to better understand its historical context.
Dating back to ancient times, the Fatsa area was once home to the Cimmerians and Pontic Greeks before becoming part of the Roman Empire in 62 AD. e. during the time of Emperor Nero. At the end of the XNUMXrd century, this territory was reorganized according to the reforms of Diocletian, which strengthened its role in the Roman administrative structure.
