Turkey has become somewhat of an epicenter for an unusual phenomenon — ancient civilizations keep coming into view.
AS reported on the most recent incident, when a malfunction at the Dicle Dam in southeastern Turkey revealed the remains of a 2,400-year-old ancient city that had been submerged for decades.
Unlike in other instances where much of Turkey's prolonged drought led to water levels that revealed ancient structures, this time heavy rainfall and complications with one of the dam's gates were the culprit.
Researchers from Dicle University took full advantage, and their study showed the area was once a sizable population hub.
Their combination of undersea and on-the-spot research picked out the remains of 78 houses, a mosque and religious school, and multiple tombs.
"In the images captured by our teams, or when the water level drops, we can see that these historic structures have preserved their integrity and remain standing in good condition," said İrfan Yıldız, one of the researchers.
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In the nearly 30 years since Dicle Dam's construction finished, this is the first time researchers have gone down to document the hidden city. Arkeo News added that the dam is an important local source of water in the region. Still, it's clear its formation buried a treasure trove of history.
The dam put many of the relics out of view, but the study indicated that some of the discoveries date all the way back to the fifth century B.C.
The region as a whole, the district of Eğil, is rich with ancient civilizations that overlapped in the vibrant area. Researchers believe there is a famous bathhouse from the Byzantine era, Deran Bath, submerged in the region, according to Arkeo News.
The allure of discovering more and preserving what they've already observed is important to the researchers. While many structures remain intact for now, there are no guarantees they will persist with threats like erosion, changing water levels, and unpredictable sediment movements.
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"There is significant potential here," Yıldız told Arkeo News. "Systematic underwater archaeological studies could uncover invaluable information about the region's past and contribute to global heritage knowledge."
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