10,500 artifacts unearthed in Türkiye in 2022

Photo shows various mosaics unearthed from the excavation site of Germanicia ruins in the Turkish southern province of Kahramanmaras, a treasure trove featuring huge mosaics from over 1,500 years ago. (General Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage of Türkiye/Handout via Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 10,500 artifacts for museum collections were unearthed in 249 archaeological digs in Türkiye in 2022, according to data from the country's General Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage.

Aerial view of the Antioch of Pisidia, a 67-hectare site dating back to 275 B.C. near the town of Yalvac in the Turkish southern province of Isparta. (General Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage of Türkiye/Handout via Xinhua)

The vast majority of these digs were conducted by Turkish teams, while foreign teams ran 32 excavations. Most digs were on land, while seven were conducted underwater to uncover sunken treasures.

Once home to countless ancient civilizations, from the Hittites to the Hellenistic States and the Roman Empire, modern Türkiye is rich in archaeological treasures.

Yahya Coskun, deputy director of the General Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage, predicts that the number of archaeological projects, not just digs but site surveys and restoration projects, will grow to 750 in 2023 from 713 in 2022.

One site to look forward to in 2023 is the Germanicia ruins in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, a treasure trove featuring huge mosaics from more than 1,500 years ago.

It is worth noting that a staggering number of nearly 400,000 cultural artifacts in 2022 and almost 900,000 over the past three years were seized before they could be smuggled out of the country, reported Demiroren News Agency.