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Three Children Left Their Footprints at Stratonikeia 1,900 Years Ago
The monumental ruins of Stratonikeia preserve the names of rulers, the decisions of civic officials and the ambitions of wealthy builders. Its latest discovery records something far quieter: the footsteps of three children who lived nearly 1,900 years ago. Archaeologists uncovered the footprints during excavations at a Roman bath complex in the ancient city, located…
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Blank Receipts Hid a 1,500-Year-Old Roman Tax Scandal in Western Anatolia
In AD 480, a Roman tax scandal in western Anatolia pushed one of the Eastern Roman Empire’s highest officials to threaten dishonest collectors with death. Before the year was over, he too had been sentenced to die. Newly identified inscription fragments from Stratonikeia are now filling gaps in the decree behind the affair. The text…
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Water Flows Again After Nearly Two Millennia in Stratonikeia’s Roman Bath
Nestled in Turkey’s Muğla province, the ancient city of Stratonikeia has long stood as a testament to layers of history—from its Hellenistic origins to the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras. Recently, a remarkable revival took place in the city’s well-preserved Roman bath: after almost 1,900 years, water was reintroduced into the pool, flowing once again…
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2000-Year-Old Roman Bath Columns Restored to Their Former Glory
The 2000-year-old Roman bath columns of the ancient city of Stratonikeia, known as the “City of Gladiators”, have been successfully restored. Stratonikeia, located in the Yatağan district of Muğla, is one of the largest marble cities in the world. Archaeological excavations in the city, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, continue under…