FOURTH CENTURY BRONZE COINS FOUND IN PARION

During the excavations in the ancient city of Parion - the port city of the Roman Empire 2,700 years ago - 466 bronze coins have been found.

The preservation and restoration work on the coins have been continuing in the laboratory, and they provide information about the destruction of the defense walls surrounding the ancient city.

“We already thought that there was a Goth invasion in the last quarter of the third century in the city. The presence of these coins is important to support this argument,” said archaeologist Sadik Sulan, deputy head of excavations.

The excavations started in 2005 the old port city, located in Kemer village in the Biga district in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, and have been continuing with a team headed by Professor Vedat Keles of Samsun's Nineteen May University.

“These works are carried out by going down to the certain levels, and we unearth the finds. These include both ceramic and sculpture pieces. We recently found 466 coins in a terracotta pot. Unfortunately, these bronze coins are in poor condition. Following the preliminary examination of our head Vedat Keles, who is also a numismatist, we saw that there was a coin belonging to the fourth century, the Valentinian period. These coins are actively and passively protected by conservators in the laboratory. They will be evaluated by experts and presented to the world of science. These coins are very important to us. We thought that there was a Goth (people from the north) invasion in the last quarter of the third century in the city. The presence of these coins is important in support of this argument. It is also important for the dating of the city wall to understand the phases of the ancient city of Parion. There is an important phase of destruction. Destruction occurred in the fourth and fifth centuries. It will be important for the region to solve this. Parion will be an important center for the region and country as a tourism destination.”

To read the complete article, see:
Bronze coins shed light on Parion's history (http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bronze-coins-shed-light-on-parions-history-144271)

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