An ornately carved stele has been discovered by a goat herder while tending his animals on a remote forested mountain near Kayaçık, Turkey.
Upon notifying the Fethiye Museum Directorate, archaeologists conducted an initial inspection. However, given the site’s extreme remoteness in the rugged highlands of Muğla’s Seydikemer district, the team temporarily reburied the stele and secured the area to safeguard it from potential looting.
Recovering the stele proved to be a demanding operation. Archaeologists and support personnel hiked roughly 45 minutes from the nearest road, re-excavated the stele, then carefully wrapped the fragile stone for transport.
The team spent nearly seven hours carrying it by hand over steep, rocky terrain, navigating narrow paths and unstable slopes to bring it safely down to the valley.
According to experts, the stele dates from the 1st to 3rd centuries BC, a period when altar-shaped grave monuments were widespread across Roman Anatolia.
Ahmet Meke, an archaeologist involved in the recovery, said that this example stands out for its elaborate relief carvings and clear inscription that gives it exceptional epigraphic value.
The front of the stele depicts a man and woman, likely representing a family portrait commemorating the deceased.
Their clothing and hairstyles offer rare glimpses into everyday Roman-period life in the region. An inscription beneath the figures provides further information about the individual buried there.
One of the side panels features a carved wreath, indicating that the person memorialised on the stone held a respected place within the local community.
With the stele now secured in the museum, specialists will begin cleaning and conservation work before formally adding it to the collection.
Header Image Credit : AA
Sources : Türkiye Today
