Huge Round Ancient Sewer System Covering 160,000 Square Meters Discovered In Ancient City Of Mastaura

Conny Waters- AncientPages.com - While excavating in the ancient city of Mastaura in Turkey archaeologists have unearthed a huge, unique sewer system that was constructed 1,800 years ago.

The ancient sewer system, located inside a narrow valley is remarkable because of its round shape and the fact it covers 160,000 square meters.

Credit: Trt.net

Mastaura was an ancient Greek town near Dereagzi, Nazilli in northern Caria, not to be confused with ancient Mastaura (Lycia). Some sources speak of the town as originally belonging to Lydia, a kingdom into which Croesus (560-546 BC) briefly incorporated Caria.

The size of the structure is amazing. A person can easily walk through the system, which spreads all over the ancient city. It appears to represent an early example of municipality work,” said Umut Tuncer, provincial director of culture.

In ancient times, a river ran through Mastaura, and people settled on both sides of the waterway, said Sedat Akkurnaz, from Adnan Menderes University’s Archaeology Department, who is in charge of the excavations at the site.

“What we see here is the sewer system built underground. The engineering technique and materials used in the structure suggest that the construction work started sometime around 200 B.C., and the sewer system was in use throughout the ancient period during the Roman Empire era,” Akkurnaz explained.

Credit: Hurriet Daily News

“We can only go some 20 meters into the sewer because there are cave-ins inside the structure blocking the path.”

"We were surprised by the waste system and the size of the building. We came across a part of a complex facility that we can walk through and that extends through the city with several branches. This structure also made a good reference to the municipality of almost 2,000 years old. The fact that the sewage system of those days still stands before us as a solid structure and that the facility meets the needs of the city with its large complex frankly surprised and pleased us," Akkurnaz said.

Credit: Trt.net

See also: More Archaeology News

Hurriet Daily News reports that over the past two years, significant discoveries have been made at the ancient site, which has attracted the interest of archaeologists around the world.

Earlier this year, archaeologists unearthed an ancient structure similar to the world-famous Colosseum amphitheater in Rome at the Mastaura site.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer