Ongoing excavations at the 3,000-year-old Temple of Hecate in Lagina, located in Türkiye's southwestern province of Mugla, have revealed significant archaeological finds.
A torch dedicated to the goddess Hecate and a Corinthian column capital from the 2nd century AD have been unearthed at this ancient site.
Bilal Sogut, head of the Stratonikeia and Lagina Excavation Team, stated that the team has been engaged in archaeological excavations, drawings, and restoration efforts as part of the "Heritage for the Future Project" for the past year.
Sogut emphasized the importance of the Lagina site, situated approximately 8.5 kilometers (5.2 miles) from the ancient city of Stratonikeia, which served as its religious center. He noted that Lagina housed the largest temple dedicated to Hecate, enhancing its significance as a sacred site.
He explained the team's focus on the ceremonial gate and entrance structure discovered earlier, aiming to reveal how people accessed the sacred site from Stratonikeia in ancient times.
The ongoing excavations have produced remarkable results, including the discovery of a torch of Hecate adorned on a column and various Corinthian column capitals from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Notably, a figurative Corinthian column capital dating to the 2nd century AD was found for the first time.
Sogut expressed hope for continued discoveries, stating that the team aims to gather data related to the Hecate cult, ancient architecture, and social life from the findings.
He also highlighted the significance of uncovering the sacred road leading to the Lagina Hecate Temple, indicating that once excavations are complete, visitors will be able to traverse from a specific area to the entrance gate and then to the temple area.
However, the excavation site faces challenges due to significant erosion, with approximately 4 meters of soil fill requiring careful manual excavation. Sogut noted that while much soil will be removed, valuable artifacts are anticipated to be uncovered.
The site's history dates back to the late 19th century when Turkish archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey first conducted excavations in 1891-1892. Artifacts from that period were transferred to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.