The ‘monumental tomb’ from the 2,000-year-old Roman period in Blaundos has been unearthed

Excavations in the ancient city of Blaundos, known as a garrison town, have uncovered a 2,000-year-old ‘monumental tomb’ from the Early Roman period.

Blaundos is the place where soldiers who came from Macedonia settled during Alexander the Great’s campaign in Anatolia.

The ancient city is located in the Ulubey district of Uşak, Türkiye. It draws attention with its natural fortress appearance, as it is surrounded on three sides by valleys formed by the Ulubey Canyon, and it has only one entrance.

Excavation work, which began in 2018 and is being conducted this year under the direction of the Uşak Museum Directorate, has been concentrated in the area near the aqueducts, located approximately 500 meters from the city entrance.

This year, excavation work was conducted for the first time in the area where the monumental tomb, identified as of the “Heron” type in previous surface surveys, is located.

Ceylan noted that there is a stepped structure to the southwest of the monumental tomb and added, “I think it is significant that the monumental tomb is located at the entrance of the city. We believe it belongs to a hero. This is because visitors to the city in ancient times would first see and visit the monument and tomb of this hero, suggesting that he was an important figure for the city. In the process, we will restore the entrance and columns at the front of the monumental tomb. After obtaining the necessary permits, we will restore these stones and raise the structure. We plan to complete the restoration process by 2025.”

Cover Photo: Mehmet Çalık/Anadolu Agency