Graves believed to be nearly 1,000 years old have been discovered in the ancient city of Nysa, located in Aydın, Türkiye.
The ancient city of Nysa, home to the sanctuary of Pluto and Kore in Acharcha as well as one of the best-preserved libraries in Anatolia, also stands out for its theater, stadium, and assembly house.
Professor Serdar Hakan Öztaner from Ankara University, the head of the Nysa excavation team, mentioned that the famous geographer Strabon wrote in his works that he received his education in Nysa. Öztaner added that Nysa was considered the city of education and culture in the Roman era.
Öztaner noted that the restoration work and excavations are ongoing. He mentioned that archaeologists are currently working on the grid plans of streets and alleys of Nysa, and that they have found a street that intersects with the main trade route connecting Ephesus, Magnesia, and Tralleis.
He added that this street was used until the 7th century, but was buried underground after a set of earthquakes and that the archaeologists found 47 graves in the topsoil of the street.
Öztaner explained that the graves date back to the 11th century, saying: "We have found 47 late period graves along the street. Most of these graves are of infants and children, which hints at a possible epidemic in the city. Our research on the nature of this epidemic is still ongoing. It seems that during later periods, there were poorer, more disorganized settlements in the city. The city center was used as a cemetery, giving it an abandoned appearance."
Öztaner further explained that one of the graves is a chamber tomb. "When we entered this tomb, we found a piece of cloth stuck on a coin. Archaeologists have concluded that the cloth is most likely linen and that the tomb belonged to a woman around her forties, whose teeth were corroded by the threads she used for weaving. These were all exciting findings for us. We determined that the graves date back to the 11th century based on the date inscribed on the coin," he said.
Highlighting the significance of the street, Öztaner added, "This street intersects with the main road to the south of Nysa. So, if you were to come to Nysa from Ephesus, you would pass this street to enter the city. That is, until an earthquake in the 7th century buried it underground."
Öztaner stated that the 2000-year-old street exceeds one kilometer in length, and they are currently working on a 100-meter section.
