The submerged remains of an ancient Greek city have reemerged in modern-day Turkiye after months of drought. Newsweek reported that the receding water of the Bayramiç Dam in Çanakkale revealed some parts of the city, including the 1,500-year-old church and bath house.
The city was said to be Scepsis, known for about 30 years since its discovery in the dam's water. The city is believed to have been at least 2,500 years old and was built in Anatolia, Asia Minor, the Asian part of the country. Scepsis gained prominence during the Byzantine period when the bathhouse and church were built.
Drought Reveals Ancient Greek City's Long Lost Tombs
A team of experts began excavations in the necropolis to learn more about the deep history of Scepsis, also known as Skepsis. Oğuz Koçyiğit of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University said that the bath structures were one of the rare structures in the Byzantine period and played an important role in understanding the architecture, construction techniques, baths, and bathing tradition at that time.
More so, the team has known that tombs can be found in the necropolis that dates back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It is also believed to have been the home of Aristotle's library for two centuries and spawned some notable Greek figures, such as Demetrius of Scepsis.
Speaking to Hurriyet Daily News, Koçyiğit said that the bath and church structures were unearthed in 1993 and 1995, and then documented and surveyed. Unfortunately, these structures were submerged and only resurfaced this year after almost three decades when the waters receded.
They are optimistic about continuing their research to look for missing information and conduct new investigations to understand issues, such as the conditions of the ruins.
Koçyiğit added that these structures dated back to the 5th century A.D. and the 6th century at the latest, noting that the city has signs of a Roman past despite Skepsis being much older.
Drought in Turkiye
Çanakkale's Bayramiç Dam was built in the late 20th century when local farming and industrial facilities relied on water supply, which means that the structures remained underwater before eth extreme drought this year.
With the lack of rainfall, the dam now only contains 10% of its maximum water capacity, putting a strain on local food production. Turkiye is just one of the many countries suffering from severe drought this unusually hot summer. Droughts in other countries revealed dinosaur footprints, shipwrecks, and a prehistoric stone circle.
According to the Eurasian Research Institute, the country has experienced severe droughts before, too, due to the lack of precipitation for an extended period of time, like what is happening in the current drought. Turkiye's drought-affected hydrological flow and agricultural production are expected to worsen as global temperatures continue to rise.
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