Approximately 30 kilometers away from the town center, in the rural area of Uzunkaya neighborhood, authorities conducted inspections following a tip-off about an unauthorized excavation in the area known locally as Kela Hanma (Lady Castle). The inspections revealed that the architectural structure of the site had been damaged, and numerous unauthorized excavation pits were found in the area.
Following this, under the leadership of Mardin Museum Director Abdulgani Tarkan, a rescue excavation was initiated on October 2nd in the mentioned area with the participation of expert archaeologist and art historian Volkan Bağlayıcı, Museum Specialist Archaeologist Mehmet Şan, and a team of 6 workers. Teams from the Diyarbakır Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory also took part in the excavation.
In the excavation, mosaic floor pavements belonging to a rural settlement, Villa rustica (farmhouse or country house), surrounded by walls that constitute a central structure in Ancient Rome and smaller additional structures spread around this main building, were uncovered.
The mosaics feature fish scales, rows of adjacent triangles, horizontal and vertical hexagons, interconnected octagons within squares, swastika (cross) motifs within squares, rounded arch motifs composed of interlocking squares, as well as depictions of trees, water birds, octopuses, fish, mussels, seals, sea snakes, and aquatic plant figures.
Mardin Museum Director and excavation leader Abdulgani Tarkan stated that they are conducting a rescue excavation in a wooded area between the districts of Kızıltepe and Artuklu, where a settlement from the Roman period is located.
Tarkan, indicating the remains of a villa where the ruling class resided during that period, stated: "However, the area is not limited to just the rural villa. There are areas with different architectural remains on the southern slope. In addition to living spaces, there is also a necropolis area. It dates back to the 5th and 7th centuries. This is a rural villa used by a family of the ruling class on a dominant hill in the region. Surrounding the rural villa, there are small rooms allocated for servants and soldiers."
Describing the discovery of mosaics covering an area of approximately 100 square meters on the floor of the villa, Tarkan noted that these mosaics are dated to the early Byzantine to Late Roman period, featuring a predominance of animal figures.
Tarkan, expressing that the mosaics are similar to those they have seen in the region before, stated, "However, in these mosaics, we see marine creatures alongside animal figures. This is a first for the region. For the first time in the rescue excavation we conducted in the Mardin region, we encountered marine creatures in the mosaics. These marine creatures include octopuses, various species of fish, and seabirds."
Tarkan, stating that the mosaics are similar to those they have seen in the region before, said, "However, in these mosaics, we see marine creatures alongside animal figures. This is a first for the region. For the first time in the rescue excavation we conducted in the Mardin region, we encountered marine creatures in the mosaics. These marine creatures include octopuses, various species of fish, and seabirds. To prevent further damage to the mosaics, they will be removed. Our goal is to exhibit the mosaics in the museum."
