Turkish archaeologists discovered an ancient unique trident

Professor Arslan named the purpose of a rare find

A 1,700-year-old trident discovered in the ancient city of Assos in Turkey. An iron trident believed to have been used for fishing, dating back to the 3rd or 4th century AD, was discovered in the ancient Aegean coastal resort town of Assos in northwestern Turkey.

The amazing find was discovered by archaeologists during excavations of the Nymphaeum, an ornate fountain east of the center of the ancient city, the site reports. Arkeonews.

Excavations in the ancient city are being carried out by a team led by Nurettin Arslan, professor of humanities and social sciences, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Historical Society are supporting the excavations.

An experienced restorer worked on the archaeological find, who cleaned the trident of soil and oxidized substances.

The trident was found among the rubble of the collapsed arch of Nymphea and was immediately identified as the head of a hand-held fishing harpoon due to its size and characteristic shape.

Professor Arslan told Anadolu Agency that the fishing spear turned out to be an object that scientists had seen mainly in frescoes and other images.

“This is the first time we have found such objects in Assos, because tools made of iron are the materials that decayed most quickly in ancient cities,” Nurettin Arslan said. “However, this trident found in this structure is an important example in the sense that it was found almost completely intact. Although we know that such instruments were widely used in ancient times, we can say that this is an important work because surviving examples are very rare. As far as we know, such tools were used in ancient times to catch large fish in the sea in small boats lit by a torch at night.”

The fishermen of Assos, who made their living from the sea for millennia, likely had access to harpoons like this one, which were made in the area, Arkeonews notes. Archaeological evidence of iron smelting and processing has been found at Assos, so it is possible that the metal was brought from the city.

Assos, located in the village of Behram in the Ayvacik district of Canakkale province, was founded by people from Lesbos (the settlement of Methymna on the island of Lesbos) in the 7th century BC, according to ancient writers. Recent archaeological research has shown that the city’s history dates back to the Bronze Age.