Three new mosaics have been uncovered in the ancient Greek city of Zeugma, which is actually located in today’s Turkey. The incredibly well preserved mosaics date back to the 2nd century BC, but they’re still as beautiful as the first day.
There are actually two ancient cities called Zeugma – one in Dacia (probably today’s Romania), and one in modern Gaziantep Province, Turkey. The one in Turkey was considered one of the biggest trading hubs in the Eastern Roman Empire and thrived until the third century – when it was completely destroyed by a Sᴀssanid king and then subsequently hit by an earthquake. The city never recovered.
However, to this day, Zeugma yields a trove of archaeological wonders with 2000-3000 houses in remarkably good condition. Excavations started in 2007 and have continued to this day. The fact that the city was destroyed and then also hit by a rubble created a sort of rubble barrier, which protected it from future treasure hunters or building material scavengers.