Selçuk Ayasuluk Hill and St. During the excavation of the Jean Monument, a DNA laboratory was established in the excavation area. Saying that for the first time in Turkey, DNA analysis will be carried out in an archaeological site in Izmir, Head of Excavation Assoc. Dr. Sinan Mimaroğlu said, "The pages of history will be rewritten in Selcuk."
Ayasuluk Hill and St. A DNA laboratory was established in the excavation area of the Jean Monument. Ayasuluk Hill and St. Jean Monument Excavation Director, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Art History Department Assoc. Dr. Sinan Mimaroğlu said, "Certain pages of history will be rewritten in Selcuk." Funda Erkal Öztürk, Head of the Department of Urban History and Promotion of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, who has been conducting investigations in the area where excavations have been carried out for 100 years, said that the Metropolitan Municipality has allocated a budget of approximately 13 million liras for 8 excavations carried out throughout the city this year. The DNA lab will be operational soon.
“It turned out to be Persian”
Assoc. Dr. Sinan Mimaroğlu said, “The ancient DNA research center here is a mobile center. It is being established for the first time in an archaeological site in Turkey. In this center, we can perform DNA analysis of inorganic and organic materials unearthed from the excavation. DNAs on human and plant remains will now be investigated in this center, without taking them abroad or sending them to another university. For example, DNA analysis performed on one of the skeletons unearthed in 2010 revealed that the person was Persian. This was a surprise for us. In fact, we think that we will obtain important data regarding the origins of the population here, especially from the Byzantine period and early period.” Referring to the importance of support for the excavations, Mimaroğlu said, “We are continuing these works with the support of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with the decision of the Izmir No. 1 Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage Conservation. The support provided allows us to rapidly advance our work.”
President Soyer attaches importance to the studies in this field
Funda Erkal Öztürk, Head of the Department of Urban History and Promotion of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, stated that approximately 13 million liras were transferred to 8 excavations carried out throughout the city this year, adding that Ayasuluk Hill and St. He emphasized that a budget of 195 thousand liras was allocated for the excavation of the Jean Monument. Funda Erkal Öztürk said, “Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has been supporting 13 excavation sites in our city for a long time. It is pleasing to see that very accurate works are carried out in our excavation areas with these supports. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer particularly attaches great importance to studies in this field. Each of our excavation sites provides us with very important data for the city. When we look so deeply at our past as a city, we can draw very important conclusions for our future. The ancient DNA study will also offer a great layer of data in terms of people, society and origins," he said.
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