Roman mosaic unearthed in wheat field in Turkey's Kırıkkale

KIRIKKALE - Anadolu Agency

AA photo



The excavation field appeared last year after rainfall in a wheat field in the village of Elmalı and the 48-centimeter mosaic was discovered there.



“We don’t know what is underground because it is a wheat field. After the wheat harvest, teams from Ankara will come to the field and make examinations. Rich people in the Roman era used such artworks in their homes. Most of them depict heroes in Greek mythology,” said Kırıkkale Governor Mehmet İlker Haktankaçmaz, visiting the field.



The archaeologist of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Mustafa Metin, said they found the mosaic in an area of 48 square meters, 20 square meters of which had been damaged. He added that they believe the mosaic dates back to the 2nd century A.D.



“We have unearthed a mosaic floor, which belonged to the feast room of a villa. Orpheus is depicted in the center of the floor. There are also animal figures, which may be figures about hades [the ancient Greek chthonic god of the underworld]. We are still working on the mosaic. The mosaic will be reinforced by teams from Ankara before being moved to Ankara. We plan to display them with other broken pieces,” Metin said.



A Roman-era mosaic, estimated to date back to the 2nd century, has been unearthed in the Central Anatolian province of Kırıkkale’s Delice district.