AFYONKARAHISAR, Türkiye

A jawbone fragment belonging to a big cat species was recently found during excavations in the ancient theater of Apemeia, now in Türkiye’s western province of Afyonkarahisar.

The ancient city of Apameia, located at the intersection of the historical Silk Road and the King's Highway, and one of the most important trade centers of its time, bears important traces from the Phrygian, Persian, Seleucid, and Roman civilizations.

Work in the ancient city, which started as a rescue excavation in 2017, was intensified three years ago, Umit Emrah Kurt, scientific adviser and coordinator of the excavation, told Anadolu.

The fossil is believed to be of a "lion or a panther, anthropologists will run a DNA analysis and make determinations regarding its age and species,” he said.

“Since this animal does not live in this geography, we think it is related to ancient performances. Of course, we cannot predict exactly what the period and age will be, but if it is found to date back to an earlier period, we know that a hunting garden was built here for the kings during the Persian period. It may be related to that garden,” he said, terming the discovery a unique find.

Kurt said unearthing in the ancient theater, the "most important" architectural structure of Apameia, led to discovery of different sections of the ancient Greek theatre, which generally consists of three major parts: the Orchestra, the Stage and the main theatre, called Koilon.

Jawbone in Afyonkarahisar Museum

The ancient city was the second-largest trade center after Ephesus, said Mehmet Tanir, provincial culture and tourism director.

The jaw is currently placed in the Afyonkarahisar Museum, he said, adding that solid vessels were also unearthed which revealed more information from the Hellenistic period.

“With the excavation, we will be able to obtain more detailed information about the settlement of the ancient city that changed the historical course of our region. This year's excavation will continue until the end of the year,” Tanir said.