During the excavations at Ayasuluk Hill and St. Jean Monument in Izmir’s Selçuk district, western Türkiye, an ancient sarcophagus believed to belong to a Roman gladiator from the third century B.C. was found. This sarcophagus was later reused in the A.D. fifth century to house 12 skeletons.
The excavations at Ayasuluk Hill and St. Jean Monument, conducted with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and support from various institutions, are ongoing under the leadership of associate professor Sinan Mimaroğlu from the Department of Art History at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University.
The excavation team recently uncovered a sarcophagus from the Roman period containing 12 skeletons. The sarcophagus, studied epigraphically by associate professor Ertan Yıldız, was identified as belonging to a Roman gladiator named Euphrates. The sarcophagus features epic inscriptions on the outside and three cross reliefs on the inside, which were added in the A.D. fifth century.
Similar sarcophagi have been found in Istanbul, on Marmara Island and in Syria.
Mimaroğlu noted that during the excavation, they were surprised to find, just 20 centimeters below the surface, a water channel, a pipe system, mosaics, as well as one sarcophagus and three sarcophagus-shaped stone graves.
The sarcophagus contained 12 individuals, indicating a collective burial. Mimaroğlu stated: “The sarcophagus is a Roman one with a very beautiful epic inscription. It belonged to a Roman gladiator and was repurposed during the Christian period with three cross reliefs added inside.”
Providing information about the church where the sarcophagus is located, Mimaroğlu explained that the church was initially a small tomb structure, later transformed into a wooden-roofed basilica, and then into a domed church during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. He continued: “The church plan in the fifth century was different, our work this year aims to reveal the plans for this layout. The burials inside the church must have been for high-status or clergy individuals because it is unlikely for an ordinary person to be buried with care inside the church, especially in the cross area.”
According to initial findings, Mimaroğlu suggested that the crosses inside the sarcophagus were carved in the fifth century, while the cross reliefs on the sarcophagus lid were likely added in the seventh and eighth centuries. He added that archaeological evidence shows that the mosaic below was also removed and placed here after the time of Justinian I.
‘Similar examples exist’
Regarding the cross reliefs in the sarcophagus, Mimaroğlu noted: “We usually see cross sarcophagi examples in imperial sarcophagi in Istanbul, but they are made from higher quality materials. A similar sarcophagus was found on Marmara Island, and there is another in Syria, though the cross shapes are different. We are continuing to scan parallel examples for publication.”
Mimaroğlu mentioned that there is early evidence suggesting the site is the first Ephesus. He added: “We have ceramics from the second millennium B.C., as well as from the Early, Middle, and Late Bronze Ages. This year, we worked on the South Cross arm of the Church of St. John. The initial excavations of the church began in 1921-1922 by Greek archaeologist Soteriou and have been ongoing under my leadership since 2020.”
He also mentioned that georadar studies conducted in 2023 revealed earlier sondages by Hörmann. “These sondages led to some findings, which we confirmed by expanding our excavation area. We uncovered a marble floor. The top layer of this marble flooring is from the sixth century during Justinian I’s period, while the marble flooring revealed this year is confirmed to be from the fifth century.”
