Excavations are in full swing in Abkhazia at a fortress dating from the 1st–4th centuries AD, directly linked to the Roman Empire. It is the only surviving fortification from antiquity. Abkhaz archaeologists lead the work, with dozens of volunteers also taking part.
Excavation work is under way on the embankment in Sukhum, in the area of Dioscurias.
Historians knew that the fortress of ancient Sebastopolis existed — this was the name of the city at the time. They are now seeing it for the first time.
All the ancient walls lay hidden beneath the embankment, and access to them remained closed. In the Soviet period, between 1958 and 1962, researchers carried out some studies here during construction of the embankment. However, they did not give the discovery serious attention, as work focused mainly on developing the city waterfront.
Researchers have yet to study the main material of the fortress structures.
Archaeologists plan to excavate and clear two towers connected by a wall. Two other towers, along with sections of the walls, have been lost to the sea.
Archaeologists say they most often find red-slip pottery. However, they consider coins the most important discovery. They have already found more than 20. Specialists will now remove the patina and examine them closely.
The more coins they uncover, the clearer the picture will become of Sebastopolis’s links with other parts of the Roman Empire and its role in trade at the time.
According to local researchers, the historic part of the embankment and the discoveries made there carry not only scientific but also political significance. This area is one of the oldest and most continuously inhabited places in Abkhazia. Apart from brief periods, people have almost never abandoned it.
Archaeologists expect to complete the excavations and reconstruction by the summer season.
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