Surprisingly well-preserved traces under a layer of fire: Archaeologists have found the remains of a business and pub district in Ephesos that was probably destroyed by a military attack by the Sasanians in 614/615 AD. The extensive finds of everyday objects, coins and food form a unique snapshot of life at that time. The finds also shed light on the mysterious development of the famous city in the early Byzantine era, the scientists say.
Even today, magnificent remains testify to the former importance of the ancient city of Ephesus. It even had one of the seven wonders of the world to offer: the Temple of Artemis. Up until late antiquity and the Byzantine period, the city was an important focal point in western Asia Minor. But shaken by looting, earthquakes and the plague, it then lost more and more of its importance. How exactly the urban development took place is unclear. In order to shed light on the former structures and history of Ephesus, Austrian archaeologists have been researching the remains of the famous metropolis since the 19th century. Now the team led by Sabine Ladstätter from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) reports on spectacular new discoveries.
The researchers encountered the remains of a precinct that had sprung up on the older structures in Late Antiquity at Domitian's Square, a prominent Roman square in the center of the city. "The originally large Roman square was built over by shops and workshops in late antiquity," says Ladstätter. The structures lay dormant under a thick layer of fire, which made them surprisingly well preserved, the team reports. So far, a small building consisting of several business premises has been uncovered on an area of around 170 square meters.
Insights into the early Byzantine world of life
Individual rooms in this quarter have been preserved up to a height of 3.4 meters and were partly filled with household goods. "The exact time of the destruction and the implications for the city's history that can be derived from it were also surprising," says Ladstätter. The entire building complex was apparently in full bloom up until the year 614/615, as dated coins bear witness to. The layer of fire then represents the end, which probably suddenly broke over the quarter. Apparently, hardly anything was taken away: under the layers, a rich inventory came to light. Archaeologists found thousands of pieces of crockery, remains of various foods and amphorae filled with salted mackerel. Four gold coins that belong together and several cash registers with over 700 copper coins are particularly spectacular.
The rooms excavated so far have been identified by the archaeologists as a cookshop, a storage room, a tavern and a workshop with an adjoining sales room. There was also another highlight: the team found the remains of a shop selling lamps and pilgrim souvenirs offered to visitors to the city, which had played an important role in Christianization. The discovery of around 600 small pilgrim bottles, which were sold to pilgrims here and could be worn around the neck, is unique. “The finds in the excavation site of Ephesus are spectacular and their importance cannot be overestimated. The evaluation of the finds will provide many new insights into the time and the background to the sudden destruction," says Heinz Faßmann from the OeAW.
Notes on urban development
As the team emphasizes, the discoveries also shed light on the history and development of the city: "The archaeological finds show us massive fire destruction that must have been sudden, dramatic and momentous," says Ladstätter. According to the researchers, an earthquake seems unlikely to be the cause. For the walls are neither shifted nor are the floors arched. However, the researchers found arrow and lance tips that provide evidence of a military conflict. According to them, this fits in with the fact that coins found in the neighboring town of Sardis around the same time also show destruction. These have already been attributed to possible attacks by the Persian Sasanids in western Asia Minor. The new findings now support this assumption.
"Although one could already observe archaeologically that Ephesus in the 7th century became smaller by leaps and bounds and that the standard of living had dropped significantly, the reasons for this were not clear." Coin circulation also collapsed sharply and fell to a significantly lower level than in the centuries before. "This turning point in the history of the city of Ephesos will probably have to be linked to the Sasanian wars," says Ladstätter.
Source: Austrian Academy of Sciences