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Archaeologists excavating a Byzantine-era cemetery near an ancient Roman theater in Iznik, a historic town in the Bursa province in northwestern Türkiye, have identified what researchers describe as the earliest known case of plague in Anatolia.
The finding stems from examinations of skeletal remains from nearly 20 individuals, including men, women, and children, uncovered this year at a necropolis south of the theater. Iznik later became a significant Byzantine settlement.
Aygun Ekin Meric, head of the excavation team and an archaeology professor at Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir, on Türkiye's Aegean coast, said previous examinations of the bones found evidence of the earliest known plague case in Anatolia, calling it "a very important finding."
Excavations at the theater began in the 1980s, with Dokuz Eylul University leading the work since 2016. Researchers have found that the site was not used solely as a performance venue. Evidence points to later religious buildings, churches, burial grounds, and tile kilns constructed around the theater.
This year's excavations, which began in July, focused on an area south of the theater, where teams uncovered skeletal remains.
According to Meric, the burials appear to be individual graves dating mainly to the Byzantine era. Bodies were generally buried facing east with hands placed over the stomach, a pattern consistent with Christian burial practices.
Graves were found about 1 meter (3 feet) below the surface, with some located above earlier graves and others standing alone. Few objects were buried with the individuals, though they did find several beads.
The bones have been documented and transferred to an excavation facility for cleaning, analysis and further study. Specialists from McMaster University in Canada, Rutgers University in the United States, and universities in Türkiye are involved in the research.
Meric said excavations will continue through the end of the current season, with plans to expand into other areas of the site.
She estimated the remaining archaeological work at the theater complex could take about four more years to complete. The theater's main areas were opened to visitors in 2024 after excavation and restoration work was completed.
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