The ancient city of Pergamon, located in Türkiye's western Izmir province, continues to offer new discoveries expected to shed light on the long history of humankind.
Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, Pergamon revealed the tomb of the priest Markos, who was known as "the Bird Oracle of Antiquity," during the recent excavations.
Researchers discovered burial sites called necropolises in the Asclepion and healing temples dedicated to Asclepius, the first doctor demigod and the son of Apollon. The inscription on the andesite block found in the necropolis, where treasure hunters conducted illegal excavations in the past, indicated that a grave belonged to Markos, the son of Trophimos.
Experts determined that the inscription said the owner of the tomb, Mark, was a "bird oracle" who lived in the second century A.D.
Practicing ornithomancy, Greek ornis "bird" and manteia "divination," Markos' main role was prophecy, interpreting the will of mythological gods by examining the flight of birds. He made predictions about the future, reading the direction of flights, the sounds they make while flying and the characteristics of bird species. The practice is similar to the augury discipline of the ancient Romans.
Prophesying by observing birds is thought to have emerged in Hittite culture based on bird oracles' texts dating back to the 14th century. On the other hand, it appears in ancient Greek times in Hesiod and Homer's texts. For instance, Homer's "Odyssey" depicts a scene when an eagle flies three times with a dead dove in its talons, which is read as the coming of Odysseus.
The tomb of Markos, who is believed to have prophesied on many issues including political events, included rare artifacts that were buried with the oracle Markos, such as a perfume bottle, a plate, a candle and a scraping tool called a strigilis – used to clean bodies of oil and sand.
After the official excavation, the tombs thought to belong to the oracle Markos and his family were covered.
Ulrich Mania, an archaeologist from the German Archaeological Institute, said that he has been working in the Pergamon excavations for a long time and that the latest findings in Asklepion were also of great historical importance. Stating that besides the excavations, the ground-level research also sheds light on the unknowns of the ancient age, he said: "We came across an illegal excavation site in Asklepion three years ago. We found a few ceramic pieces and a few beautiful stones. Two years after the first discovery, we started excavations with Pergamon Museum."
"One of the most important things in the excavation was an inscription on the stone. It was a tomb inscription and the tomb owner's name was given. Markos, son of Trophimos. We already knew the name Mark because we came across that name during another excavation in the area. It was also on an altar near the Asklepion," he said.
Unfortunately, Markos' grave was destroyed by illegal diggers, though the graves in the other two rooms were found in good condition, Mania explained.
Emphasizing that there are many necropolises dating back to antiquity, yet this tomb has a special value, Mania said: "There are many tombs in general and we do not know whom they belong to. Maybe we can find bones, ashes or a few burial gifts, yet we do not know the status of the owner of the grave. If it belongs to an oracle, a priest of higher status, this is a milestone."
Mania stated that they hope to collect important data on both the region and history by the end of the research project with the findings that they have documented.
Archaeologist Jakob Krasel from Freiburg University stated that he has been involved in studies in Bergama for about four years and has witnessed studies that are valuable in terms of world history. Krasel also said that the deepest tomb in the area, where there are seven other tombs, belongs to Markos.
Expressing that it is extremely interesting to find the tomb of an important historical personality like the oracle Markos, Krasel added that he believes the research can reveal new information about Markos and his family.
Meanwhile, an ampulla, a small round vessel used for sacred purposes like carrying holy water or oil, was discovered during the excavations in Pergamon.
The ancient settlement of Pergamon was founded in the third century on the top of Kale Hill, as the capital of the Attalid dynasty. Being at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, the settlement was a political and cultural hub of antiquity. The settlement also includes exceptional structures such as the steepest theater in the world, a three-terraced gymnasium and pressured water pipelines as the marvels of early settlement.
