Parion, the ancient port city of the Roman Empire with a history of 2,700 years, revealed a second ancient harbor during the underwater excavations conducted in the village of Kemer, part of Çanakkale's Biga district.
Excavation head Vedat Keleş said: "This harbor, compared to the southern harbor, which served as a commercial port, is slightly smaller and filled with alluvium deposited by the river running through the city. Parion was a legion colony, so there is a possibility that this harbor could have been a military port."
In Parion, the ancient harbor city dating back 2,700 years within the borders of Kemer village in Biga district, excavation efforts are ongoing. This year, the excavations are being conducted by a team of 25 people, led by Vedat Keleş, dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and head of the Archaeology Department at Ondokuz Mayıs University, including 17 foreign experts. This season marks the first underwater excavations in Parion, leading to the discovery of its second ancient harbor.
Vedat Keleş mentioned that the 2024 excavation season at Parion continues with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums and IÇDAŞ Inc.
"This year marks the 20th anniversary of Parion excavations, a source of great pride for us. Over these 20 years, we believe that the Parion excavation has fulfilled its responsibilities in excavation, restoration-conservation, publications and training of scholars. This year, we initiated underwater excavations for the first time. As known from ancient sources, Parion is an important port city in Northern Troas. We previously knew about a southern harbor, and there were mentions of a northern harbor. However, this remained a question mark for us. Through this year's underwater excavations, we have confirmed the existence of another harbor here," he explained.
Regarding ongoing excavations in two sectors during the excavation season, Vedat Keleş explained: "One sector is the theater, and the other is the agora. Foreign professors work in the agora sector, while we work in the theater sector. Despite the limited number of workers, we are trying to continue our work within our means. The theater sector is challenging due to its high level of destruction. A wall has been built over the stage building, incorporating almost all of the theater's seating rows and architectural elements within this wall. Therefore, the structure underwent significant changes in later periods. Despite the challenges caused by this destruction, our colleagues continue to work diligently. Additionally, restoration efforts are ongoing."
Keleş expressed their aim to elevate Parion to its deserved status in the near future, stating: "There is much to be done for this. For example, we need the expropriation process to be completed and require more workers. As a young excavation team, the city we are excavating has a high level of destruction. We need to fully uncover the city. Therefore, we need labor support. I would like to appeal to local authorities. If they support us, especially by providing labor support, we can continue our excavations uninterrupted throughout the year, as the climate permits."
