Il georadar rivela una città nascosta, sotto la fortezza romano-bizantina di Zerzevan

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Il georadar rivela una città nascosta, sotto la fortezza romano-bizantina di Zerzevan. Cosa sono quei vani enormi?

 

La cima della collina della fortezza @ KediÇobanı Wikimedia Commons

Enormi strutture a più piani sono state identificate in questi giorni sotto una fortezza dell’Impero romano d’oriente, in Turchia, grazie all’intervento degli archeologi con i georadar, strumentazioni che, funzionando un po’ come i sonar che scandagliano la profondità del mare, consentono di “vedere” cavità e muri sotto il terreno.

Grazie a questa campagna di rilevamento, prossimamente gli archeologi affronteranno questo nuovo mistero. Erano segrete del forte romano? Oppure strutture appartenenti a civiltà più antiche che furono utilizzate come fondazioni per il forte? Scavando, gli archeologi, hanno già trovato, sotto terra, il Tempio di Mitra. Si ritiene che il culto di Mitra abbia avuto origine nell’antica Persia e il tempio, scoperto nel 2017, è forse l’edificio dedicato a questa divinità meglio conservato al mondo. Nel 2016 sono stati scoperti una chiesa sotterranea e passaggi segreti. Oltre al tempio mitraico è stato identificato un secondo santuario sotterraneo, in grado di contenere 400 persone. Ma le sorprese non finiscono qui.

Il castello di Zerzevan fu costruito nel IV secolo dall’Impero Romano d’Oriente come base militare sull’antica via commerciale tra Diyarbakır e Mardin . Fu in uso fino al VII secolo. L’edificio è situato sulla cima di una collina rocciosa alta 105–124 m-
Esso, sede di una guarnigione militare dell’Impero romano, fornisce quelle che l’UNESCO definisce “informazioni importanti sui soldati romani, sulla vita quotidiana dei civili e sulle battaglie”.

“Sono arrivato a Diyarbakir per la prima volta nel 2005”, dice l’archeologo Coskun, “e quando ho visto questa collina ej alcuni lacerti di manufatti ho capito che bisognava scavare perché ci doveva essere qualcosa di significativo sotto.”

Coskun e il suo team hanno portato alla luce oggetti tra cui un secchio battesimale in bronzo di tarda epoca romana splendidamente conservato e riccamente decorato e un timbro di epoca assira.

“Lo scavo che stiamo facendo all’interno delle mura del castello è di 57.000 metri quadrati” dice l’archeologo – “È un’area enorme. E al di fuori di essa ci sono qualcosa come 10 milioni di metri quadrati da esplorare.”

Coskun ritiene che circa 1.500 persone, sia militari che civili, vivessero qui in tempo di pace. In tempo di guerra, dice, probabilmente circa 10.000 persone provenienti dai dintorni potevano giungere qui a cercare rifugio

https://www.stilearte.it/il-georadar-rivela-una-citta-nascosta-sotto-la-fortezza-romano-bizantina-di-zerzevan-cosa-sono-quei-vani-enormi/

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Archaeologists in Turkey have identified massive structures below a Roman-era castle

 

Ruins of housing believed to have been used by soldiers stationed at the garrison.

Alice Martins for NPR

DIYARBAKIR PROVINCE, Turkey — As part of what was once ancient Mesopotamia, Turkey has long been fertile ground for archaeologists. It's home to significant sites that even predate Mesopotamia — UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Gobekli Tepe, a Neolithic settlement believed to be more than 10,000 years old with what may be the world's oldest place of worship, and Catalhoyuk, a proto-city dating back some 9,000 years.

Now, more recent sites in the country's southeast are yielding finds that archaeologists say may change modern understanding of this part of the world's past, moving the footprint of pre-Roman activity in the area farther east than was previously believed.

Zerzevan Castle, the site of a Roman Empire military garrison, is providing what UNESCO calls "important information about the Roman soldiers, civilians' daily lives and the battles."

 

 

And then there's the Mithras Temple. The Mithras religion — also known as the "Mithras cult" — is believed to have originated in ancient Persia, and the temple, discovered in 2017, is possibly the best-preserved such temple in the world, says UNESCO.

Yet to be excavated are huge, multistory structures that archaeologists have identified thanks to ground-penetrating radar scans. These remain below ground and are revealing layer upon layer of artifacts, some dating back well into pre-Roman history.

 

 

A local family visiting Zerzevan Castle archaeological site.

Alice Martins for NPR

 

 

Archaeologist Aytac Coskun, seen at ruins of an ancient church, says excavations in the area may continue for another three decades.

Alice Martins for NPR

Sitting near an ancient church built on a hill high above the temple, archaeologist Aytac Coskun says the first time he saw the place, he knew he had to excavate.

"I first came to Diyarbakir in 2005," says Coskun, "and when I saw this hill, I saw some pieces of artifacts, and I knew no excavation had been done before. So as soon as I saw it, I knew it had to be a dig because there must be something significant underneath."

Underground residential areas may have sheltered 10,000 people in wartime

A tour of the site reveals some what he and his team have excavated in recent years — a sprawling rock altar, an underground church, a water canal stretching for at least several miles.

 

 

A member of the Zerzevan Castle excavation and restoration team looks into a microscope while studying a coin found at the archaeological site.

Alice Martins for NPR

 

 

A bronze baptismal bucket found at the Zerzevan Castle site, currently on display at the Archaeology Museum of Diyarbakir.

Alice Martins for NPR

Coskun and his team have unearthed objects including a beautifully preserved and ornately decorated Roman-era bronze baptismal bucket and an Assyrian-era stamp, a kind of official seal carved into rock, that could date back some 3,000 years.

"The digging we're doing inside the castle walls is 57,000 square meters [68,171 square yards]," he says. "It's a huge area. And outside of it...is (something) like 10 million square meters [3.86 square miles]."

Coskun believes some 1,500 people, both military and civilian, lived here during times of peace. In wartime, he says, it's likely that some 10,000 people from the surrounding area came here to seek shelter.

 

 

An inscription seen at the entrance of the Mithras temple which remains undeciphered.

Alice Martins for NPR

 

 

Ruins of the church seen from the south tower.

Alice Martins for NPR

That, he says, may help explain the expansive underground living areas. So far, he says they've excavated six residential complexes inside the castle walls, and there are 99 more still below the surface.

That's just one reason Coskun says this site has the potential to change modern understanding of this part of the world and its archaeological and architectural history.

"It's totally open to new discoveries, that's for sure," he says. "We don't know what else we'll find. We've only dug around 10% of the area on the surface within the castle walls. And beyond the castle walls," he adds, "you see more living areas, the canal, a necropolis where the leading families buried their dead, and ceremonial areas. So, there will be more to come."

 

Excavations, he says, could continue for another 30 years.

 

 

The entrance to the Mithras temple seen from inside.

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/01/1191263572/turkey-archaeology-zerzevan-castle-discoveries

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Zerzevan Castle (Kurdish: Qesra Zêrzevan, Zîrzevan Turkish: Zerzevan Kalesi Armenian: Զերզեվանի ամրոց), also known as Samachi Castle, is a ruined Eastern Roman castle, a former important military base, in Diyarbakır Province, southeastern Turkey. Archaeological excavations at the site revealed the existence of underground structures, among them a temple of Mithraism, a mystery religion. The castle was used as a civilian settlement between the 1890s and the 1960s. The site is partly open to tourism.

Some travellers mention the name of this place as "Kasr Zerzaua" in 18th century while Evliya Celebi, an Ottoman traveller who lived in 17th century mentions in his  Seyahatname (volume IV) about this place as "Zerzivan Valley" while travelling from Diyarbakir to Mardin. The name of Zerzevan derives from Kurdish word of "zêr" (gold) and it "is the changed form of Zerzaua mentioned by the travellers and it is the name given to the settlement while the village" was located in the same place.

Zerzevan Castle was built in the 4th century by the Eastern Roman Empire as a military base on the ancient trade route between  Diyarbakır and Mardin. It was in use until the 7th century. The castle is situated on the top of a 105–124 m (344–407 ft)-high rocky hill next to Demirölçek village about 13 km (8.1 mi) southeast of Çınar town in  Diyarbakır Province on the highway  D.950 to Mardin. It is located about 45 km (28 mi) from Diyarbakır.

The first archaeological excavations took place in the summer months of 2014. The works were initially carried out by a team of 35 led by an archaeologist from Dicle University, under the supervision of the  Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum. In 2015, the size of the team working at the site increased to 60. It is expected that excavation works will continue for around 30 more years.

In 2020, archaeologists found the entrance of the castle.

In 2021, archaeologists discovered a flute with six holes and a bronze ring with a key which was used to open a chest. Both items dated back to the 4th and 5th centuries AD.

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The castle stretches over an area of 5.7 ha (14 acres). The castle contains structures both above and below ground.[4] Its ruined walls are 1,200 m (3,900 ft) long and 12 m (39 ft) high, and it has a 21–22 m (69–72 ft)-high watchtower. Inside the castle, there are ruins in a wide area and a rock-necropolis. In the north of the castle, which is at a lower elevation, residences and streets were erected while in the south public buildings were constructed on the higher terrain. A church building facing east-west remains one of the most well-conserved public buildings. Other public buildings include the palace, administrative building, baths, cereal storage,  arsenal, and 54 cisterns. Military and medical material, jewelry, ornaments, and bronze coins were also found during the excavations. In 2016, a subterranean church and secret passageways were discovered.

The discovered underground secret passageway was not in use for about 3,000 years and the subterranean church was closed around 1,500 years ago. A Mithraic underground temple and a subterranean sanctuary, able to hold 400 people, were also unearthed. The underground temple remnants of the mystery religion attracted more than 20,000 tourists in just one week according to reports by officials. In 2017, four more underground locations were discovered, where further excavation works are necessary to unearth them.

The castle was an Eastern Roman military base and a strategic  garrison settlement, dominating the entire valley and controlling the ancient road between Amida (now Diyarbakır) and Dara (now Mardin). The castle played a key role due to its location on the easternmost border protecting the Roman Empire. It marked the intersection and coalescence of the cultures in the west and the east.

The place was known as Samachi in classical antiquity. It was the site of heavy fighting between the  Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire. Jewelry found in the castle also indicates that the civilian population and military personnel resided together, with soldiers living alongside their family members.

It was large enough to sustain a population of around one thousand.

Restoration and reconstruction works, which took place during the reigns of Eastern Roman emperors  Anastasius I Dicorus (r. 491–518) and Justinian I (r. 527–565), saw the castle develop into its final state prior to its ruin. The castle was most likely in use until 639 with the arrival of Arab Muslims in the beginning of the Arab–Byzantine wars.

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zerzevan_Castle