Ancient Port of Bathonea Reveals Sophisticated Olive Oil and Wine Production Hub

Ongoing archaeological work at the Bathonea Ancient Port City, located on the shores of Küçükçekmece Lake in Istanbul's Avcılar district, has uncovered evidence of advanced workshops dedicated to the production of olive oil and wine. These findings provide significant insight into the economic organization of the region during antiquity, suggesting a level of manufacturing complexity beyond simple domestic operations. Professor Dr. Şengül Aydıngün of Kocaeli University's Archaeology Department confirmed that the past two years of excavation have revealed a substantial complex focused on these essential commodities.

This season's dig yielded a particularly noteworthy feature situated near a previously identified basin-like structure: an area distinguished by an ornate design element. This feature includes a stone carved into the shape of a lion's head, from which liquids flowed directly into a fermentation pool. This artistic integration into an industrial process, with the carved spout guiding liquids into the vessel, is considered the most pivotal artifact of the current season, highlighting the cultural significance embedded even in basic production methods of the Early Ancient Age.

The site meets the necessary criteria for classification as a genuine production center, featuring both a flat platform for pressing olives or grapes and the decorative spout leading to the fermentation tank. Furthermore, researchers recovered numerous amphorae, many bearing stamps indicating their origin and date, alongside delicate glass goblets. These finds underscore the substantial scale of the operation. An intriguing detail suggesting ritual activity was the discovery of animal bones within the fermentation pool, which Professor Dr. Aydıngün suggested might be remnants of religious rites.

The historical context provided by Professor Dr. Aydıngün notes that knowledge of viticulture and olive cultivation spread widely from Anatolia and Mesopotamia across the Mediterranean. Wine, in particular, maintained an elevated status in Thracian and Anatolian Aegean civilizations, initially serving as a libation for deities and the elite before wider distribution. The presence of inscribed amphorae at Bathonea suggests the port was an active participant in a highly regulated ancient economic network, channeling high-value goods into the broader world, especially given the Black Sea region's role as a crucial nexus for maritime commerce connecting the Aegean and the Near East.

The excavations, which commenced in 2009 as part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Kocaeli University's 'Heritage for the Future Project,' continue to illuminate the foundational structures that supported the rise of a metropolis like Istanbul. The continuous expansion of the olive oil or winery complex at Bathonea firmly positions it as an exceptionally significant archaeological location.