Excavations to restart at Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

In the spirit of things that make me happy: the news just broke that excavations are set to restart on the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the most important monumental structures of the ancient age and widely considered one of the seven wonders of the world.

Remains of temple of Artemis at Ephesus [Credit: Hurriyet]

Sabine Ladstatter is the head of the excavations for the excavations, which will focus on four areas in the ancient city as well as the temple, a Turkish bath, and the Çukuriçi tumulus, a settlement area at the southern part of the Virgin Mary Church.

It's been twenty years since the last excavations, and there are many layers of construction that have prevented the original temple to become fully exposed. There is another issue: high water in the area. They have been lucky, this year:

"[...] the ground water withdrew. We normally do it with pumps. Now we will progress faster. We are planning to work until the rainy season. Our goal is to reach the remains of the Roman era in the temple."

Ladstatter said Ephesus was one of the best-known excavation areas in the world, adding that the Temple of Artemis had failed to draw many visitors.

"An arrangement for visitors could be made in collaboration with the Ephesus Museum Directorate. There are not too many visible remains of the temple in the area. This is why information boards and visuals could be erected for visitors."