1,500-Year-Old Ancient Lamps Unearthed In Zerzevan Castle In Southeast Turkey

AncientPages.com | November 25, 2019 | Archaeology, News

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey's Diyarbakır have discovered 48 ancient lamps dating back around 1,500 years. The lamps were discovered during excavations at the Zerzevan Castle, located in the city's Çınar district.

Ancient lamps discovered during excavations at the site of Zerzevan Castle, TurkeyAncient lamps discovered during excavations at the site of Zerzevan Castle, Turkey. Image credit: AA 

The excavations are being led by assistant professor Aytaç Coşkun from Dicle University's Department of Archaeology. He said the lamps, which are believed to be dating back to the Roman period, would provide more information about the castle's history, according to Daily Sabah.

Coşkun said the place where the lamps were discovered could have been an ancient shop. "Each lamp has a different sign on it, including sun, stars or letters sometimes. They all have a different meaning," Coşkun said.

The lamps were unearthed near a 1,700-year-old Roman-era underground Mithras temple, which was discovered in 2017.

Ancient lamps discovered during excavations at the site of Zerzevan Castle, TurkeyCredit: AA

The castle, which once served as military premises, is situated on a 55,200-square-meter area surrounded with walls stretching 12 to 15 meters high and 1,200 meters long, along with a 21-meter high watchtower and guard castle.

The vast space also includes a church, administrative buildings, ruins of ancient homes, grain and weapon storage facilities, an underground temple, underground shelters, rock tombs, and water channels.

Previously, archaeologists unearthed an underground church, an underground shelter with a capacity to hold 400 people, houses and hidden passages.

Zerzevan Castle

The Zerzevan Castle is situated along the ancient route of military premises and located on a 124-meter-high rocky hill in a strategic location between Amida and Dara  (near modern-day Mardin). Two years ago, archaeologists discovered an underground temple, a closed secret passage, and a subterranean sanctuary in the Zerzevan Castle, which was used as a military settlement in the Roman era.

Built on an area of six hectares, which was once a strategic Roman border garrison town, the Zerzevan Castle is now in ruins but it still has its 15-meter-high and 1,200-meter-long wall, 21-meter-high watchtower and church, administration building, residences, stores of grain and arms, subterranean temple, sanctuaries, sepulchers, water channels, and 54 cisterns.

See also: More Archaeology News

The castle also witnessed the military confrontations between the Romans and the Sassanians.

The first settlement was named "Samachi" and while it is not certain when it was built, the excavations are close to revealing its age. The castle walls were repaired at the time of Byzantıne Emperor Anastasios (491-518 A.D.) and Justinian (527-565 A.D.) while some parts were completely rebuilt.

Recent excavations have been conducted at the site since 2014.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

More From Ancient Pages