The ruins of Teos (Greek: Τέως), an ancient Greek city on Turkey’s western coast, have long remained untouched by modern construction, with secrets to uncover.
Now, archaeologists are uncovering its lost history, focusing on its best-preserved structure: the bouleuterion, a city council building in ancient Greece that once stood at the heart of political life.
Since 2021, Mantha Zarmakoupi, a Roman architecture specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, has led excavations at the site. Her research sheds light on the transformation of the bouleuterion, which was remodeled several times throughout history.
Built in the late third century BCE during the Hellenistic period, the Bouleuterion originally served as a gathering place for civic decisions. It featured a grand eastern façade, two entrances, and tiered seating for hundreds.
During the Roman period, modifications transformed it into a space for performances. A stage structure was added at the center, and a three-sided portico provided an additional gathering area. These changes reflect how the building’s role shifted over time.
“This building is extremely important for understanding the ancient communities that were living here and their institutions,” said Peter Satterthwaite, a Ph.D. candidate in Ancient History who is working on the excavation.
Excavations have led to unexpected discoveries. Beneath layers of soil, researchers uncovered two ancient mosaics from the third century BCE.
One depicts two fighting cupids, figures associated with Eros, the Greek god of love. The imagery connects to Dionysus, the god of wine and the city’s patron deity, whose temple once stood in Teos.
In October 2021, after the first excavation season, Musa Kadıoğlu, director of the Teos Archaeological Project, made another attempt to reveal the secrets of this ancient Greek city.
While walking the site in autumn’s lower light, he noticed faded markings on architrave blocks – large stones that had once sat atop the bouleuterion. The 30-centimeter-high inscription had been deliberately erased, likely for political or social reasons.
Deciphering the lost text was challenging, but researchers found a clue. The blocks bore original mason markings, revealing their placement in the structure. Using advanced 3D modeling, Zarmakoupi’s team reassembled the façade and reconstructed much of the inscription.
The findings suggest the bouleuterion’s original sponsor may have been a member of a Dionysian artist guild, a group once influential in Teos but later expelled. This could explain why the inscription was removed, erasing their contribution to the city’s history.
“The fact that it’s erased is a clue to another chapter in the city’s history, in which they no longer wanted to commemorate that person or his involvement in the project,” Satterthwaite said.
I took a video in the Teos Ancient City Cabinet.
The City was 1 of the 12 cities of Ionian League.
Anacreon(poet),Hecateus(historian),Apellicon(Preserver of the works of #Aristotle)were born here. #Epicurus grew up & studied there under Nausiphanes.#Archaeology @ticiaverveer pic.twitter.com/P4hz5Lwvv1
— Nazmi TARIM (@tarimnazmi) April 1, 2020
Zarmakoupi is working to reconstruct the final missing portion, which likely details what the sponsor funded. Future excavations will refine the building’s timeline and confirm the inscription’s significance.
“Every piece of this process has been revealing itself like an onion,” she said. “It peels off and another thing arrives.”
