Archaeologists uncover 1,600-year-old wine factory hidden near ancient mountain castle
Archaeologists recently uncovered an ancient wine production center near a castle in Turkey — and it's believed to date back some 1,600 years.
The excavation was reported by Anadolu Agency (AA), a state-run outlet in Ankara, on Oct. 16.
The production center was found in a mountainous area in southeastern Turkey, near the village of Oymakli.
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The site included installations for processing grapes, along with cisterns used to supply water and grinding stones.
The building foundations hint at the site dating to the 4th century A.D., a time when Christianity was spreading in Turkey, and Constantinople was emerging as a new center of power.
The excavation was prompted by the discovery of "several fragments considered to be of historical value," with support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The Roman-era settlement spans 37 acres.
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It's located near Kahta Castle, an ancient fortress built during the 2nd century B.C. for the Kingdom of Commagene, a Greek-Iranian monarchy.
Mehmet Alkan, provincial museum director, told AA the building's foundations survived "remarkably well," despite being built with irregular stones.
He suggested the site may have operated at an industrial size during the Roman era.
Due to its close location to the castle, Alkan said it may have also served as a residential area at some point.
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Officials plan to continue excavating the site and, eventually, register it as a protected archaeological area.
The find is one of many ancient discoveries made in Turkey in recent months.
In Olympus, an ancient Lycian port city in the Turkish province of Antalya, archaeologists recently unearthed the remnants of a Christian bishop's vast bathhouse.
Earlier this summer, an ancient Roman bathhouse was uncovered in Turkey, thanks to a gardener who previously discovered a mosaic in the same area.
