Second Ancient Harbor of Parion Discovered
During underwater excavations in Parion, a 2,700-year-old Roman harbor city located in the Kemer village of Biga district in Çanakkale, a second ancient harbor of the city was found.
Excavations in the 2,700-year-old harbor city of Parion, within the borders of Kemer village, Biga district, continue. This year’s excavations are being conducted by a team of 25 people, including 17 foreign delegation members, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Vedat Keleş, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Head of the Archaeology Department at Ondokuz Mayıs University.
This year, underwater studies were carried out for the first time in Parion Ancient City, during which the second ancient harbor of Parion was discovered.
“This Was Mentioned in Ancient Sources”
Prof. Dr. Vedat Keleş, head of the excavations, stated that the 2024 season works in Parion are continuing in two sectors with the support of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and İÇDAŞ A.Ş. He said, “This year marks the 20th year of Parion excavations, which is a significant source of pride for us. Looking back over these 20 years, I believe the Parion excavations have more than fulfilled their responsibilities in terms of excavation, restoration-conservation, publication, and the training of scientists. This year, we took a significant step by starting underwater studies. As we all know, Parion is an important port city in Northern Troas. We already knew we had a southern harbor from ancient sources. We speculated there might be a northern harbor as well, but this was always a question mark. Through the underwater studies we initiated this year, we confirmed that this area was also a harbor.”
“A Military Harbor Might Be”
Prof. Dr. Keleş emphasized that Parion was a legion colony, adding, “However, this harbor might have a specific feature. Compared to the southern trade harbor, this harbor is smaller in size and filled with alluvium deposited by the stream passing through the city. This suggests that it might have been a smaller military harbor. When we think of a military harbor, it immediately comes to mind that Parion was a legion colony. Therefore, there is a possibility that this was a military harbor. Future underwater studies will provide us with more detailed information on this matter.”
“Excavations Continue in the Theater and Agora”
Prof. Dr. Vedat Keleş explained that excavation works are continuing in two sectors during the excavation season: the theater and the agora. He said, “Foreign faculty members are working in the agora sector, and we are working in the theater sector. The low number of workers somewhat hinders our work, but we strive to continue within the limits of our capabilities. The theater sector is challenging, with a high level of destruction. A defensive wall was built over the stage building, and almost all the seating rows and architectural pieces of the theater were used within this wall. Therefore, the structure appears to have undergone significant changes in the later period. Despite the difficulties caused by this destruction, our team continues to work diligently, even if progress is slow. Additionally, our restoration work continues.”
“We Need to Uncover the City”
Prof. Dr. Keleş expressed their desire to bring Parion Ancient City to its deserved place in a short time, saying, “There is much to be done to achieve this. For example, expropriations need to be completed, and we need workers. We are a new, young excavation. The city we are excavating has a high level of destruction. We need to uncover the city, and for this, we need a workforce. I want to call on local authorities. If they support us, at least by providing worker support, we can continue our excavations uninterrupted for 12 months. As long as the climate permits, we can conduct excavations here continuously for 12 months.”
