Turkey: Rare 1st-Century Relics Unearthed (with Image)

Archaeologists have unveiled surprising discoveries in one of the most prominent cities of the Roman realm.

In the antique metropolis of Ephesus, situated in contemporary Turkey, archaeologists have unearthed a series of unanticipated revelations that offer fresh understanding of the lives of affluent inhabitants from the Roman epoch and the historical backdrop of one of the pivotal hubs of early Christianity.

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In the course of the diggings, researchers encountered a sumptuous marble bath from the 1st century AD, coupled with a portion of an age-old statue that served as a constituent of the road surface for an extended duration.

The centerpiece discovery was a marble bathtub approximately 1.5 meters in length, crafted from unique Greco Scritto marble featuring distinctive dark streaks. As stated by the excavation director, archaeologist Serdar Aybek, the artifact is estimated to originate from the 1st century AD, and contrarily to the well-known public bathhouses of Ephesus, it was designed for personal use.

According to scholars, the bathtub was the property of the occupants of the so-called “terrace houses” – an upscale district inhabited by the Roman elite. Later, as ascertained by the researchers, this household item forfeited its initial function and was repurposed as a water receptacle in a street fountain.

Another surprising discovery was the form of a male sculpture, fashioned around the transition of the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. Archaeologists have concluded that after the sculpture suffered damage, its fragment was utilized as a common paving stone. The form was located face down precisely within the roadbed near the ancient Stadium.

Ephesus possesses a significant position in the annals of Christianity — the city is referenced in the Bible as one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, and the Apostle Paul delivered sermons here in the 1st century. The novel discoveries augment a progression of noteworthy archaeological revelations in the region spanning 2025–2026, encompassing the identification of an antique Christian mosaic in Urfa, the remains of a Roman assembly chamber in Laodicea, and a cluster of 6th-century Christian sepulchers in the Syrian district of Idlib.

We remind you that we had previously written that archaeologists presented a revised interpretation for the mysterious stretch of 5,200 holes in the Peruvian mountain Monte Sierpe.

Source: tsn.ua