Located on the western coast of Türkiye, facing Athens, the city of Teos was in antiquity a major hub of culture, art, and commerce in the Hellenistic and Roman world. Although today only its ruins remain, more than two thousand years ago, this city was an enclave of great importance.
Since the 3rd century AD, the region has remained largely uninhabited and, most importantly for archaeologists, no modern structures have been built over its remnants, allowing for uninterrupted research.
Seizing this unique opportunity, archaeologist Mantha Zarmakoupi, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has led excavations focused on the bouleuterion, an ancient city council building.
This space, considered the best-preserved structure in Teos, has begun to reveal key information about the city’s early history and the evolution of its political and architectural structures.
After four seasons of fieldwork, researchers have managed to establish a precise timeline for the bouleuterion and its modifications over the centuries. Originally built in the late 3rd century BC during the Hellenistic period, the building underwent a major transformation in the 1st century AD, when a portico was added during Roman rule.
According to Peter Satterthwaite, a PhD candidate in ancient history and a collaborator on the project, this building played a crucial role in the city’s political life, serving as the center for the community’s democratic deliberations.
However, one of the most surprising discoveries made by the team of archaeologists came while excavating the site’s deepest layers. Beneath a buildup of soil and debris, the edge of a mosaic emerged, which, as the work continued, turned out to be part of at least two distinct mosaics located in separate rooms and dated to the 3rd century BC.
One of them has particularly captured the attention of experts: it depicts two cupids in combat, figures associated with Eros, the Greek god of love, whose iconography is closely linked to Dionysus, the god of wine and the principal deity of Teos.
It’s a feeling of absolute euphoria, said Zarmakoupi, describing the moment she discovered the mosaics. It’s that instant when you realize you’re looking at something truly special.
In addition to these artistic revelations, archaeologists have also found a monumental inscription that has begun to be deciphered, providing further clues about the political and cultural life of the ancient city. With each new excavation, Teos continues to unveil fragments of its past, offering an invaluable window into Hellenistic and Roman civilization and reaffirming its significance in the study of ancient Mediterranean democratic structures.
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