For years, locals in Milas, Türkiye had been using an old stone structure as a stable — without realizing it was once a bathhouse dating back to the days of ancient Rome.
Anadolu AgencyThe bathhouse had several rooms meant to keep water at different temperatures.
Furthermore, the animals pictured in the mosaics are a mix of local and exotic, raising interesting questions about the craftsperson who created them.
Animal Mosaics Found At The Ruins Of A Roman Bathhouse In Türkiye
Anadolu AgencyDolphin mosaics were featured in the corners of the warm room’s floor.
Crocodiles were not the only animal to be featured in the mosaics, however. In addition, researchers found mosaics of four dolphins in the corners of the bath’s warm room, with flamingos and eels taking up the space in between. The eels are notably represented with red stones and are of special significance in the region. Likewise, flamingos still populate the region today.
“Eel is a very important animal for this geography. Flamingos are also one of the bird species that still live in this area today. In fact, the artist has painted the animals he saw in the geography here,” Büyüközer said.
Anadolu AgencyArchaeologists say the floor was so well preserved because it was made of meticulously laid stone.
To this day, the area next to the bath is being used as a barn.
Another local, 68-year-old Turcen Aydin, described his shock at the discovery of the mosaics: “I tied my animals here for years to protect them from the rain and cold. I was very surprised when I saw the mosaics and figures that were unearthed after the excavation started here. The excavation team did a great job here. Thanks to them, we saw the historical artifacts here. I was very happy. I never even thought of seeing something like this. It turns out that we lived on a piece of history and we didn’t know it.”
The goal of the project was to examine the site’s history and promote tourism in the region. Büyüközer said that excavation work at the Roman bathhouse would continue throughout 2025 and will reveal even more of the region’s rich past.
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