Archaeologists have uncovered an olive oil and wine workshop in the ancient Greek city of Bathonea (Greek: Βαθονεία), located on the shores of Lake Küçükçekmece near today's Istanbul in modern Turkey. The discovery sheds new light on the city's industrial and cultural life during antiquity.
Bathonea was once a thriving ancient Greek port city that linked Aegean colonies to the city of Byzantium through trade routes across the Propontis sea (todays Marmara Sea).
Excavations that began in 2009 have revealed temples, harbor structures, and workshops reflecting the city's Greek heritage and its role in the eastern Mediterranean trade network.
Among this year's most significant findings is a lion-headed stone spout that once directed liquids into a fermentation pool. The structure was part of a large olive oil and wine production complex, believed to have operated during the Late Antiquity period.
Küçükçekmece Gölü kıyılarında sürdürülen Bathonea Antik Liman Kenti kazılarında zeytinyağı ve şarap üretim atölyesi ortaya çıkarıldı. pic.twitter.com/xmn6rIAd75
-- Solcu Gazete (@solcugazete60) October 16, 2025
The excavation team identified several features typical of ancient workshops, including pressing platforms, collection tanks, and storage pools used to process olives and grapes. The layout suggests a well-organized production system capable of handling both commodities on a considerable scale.
The presence of refined decorative elements, such as the lion's head spout, reflects the artistic influence of Greek and Roman architectural styles commonly seen in workshops across the Mediterranean.
Dozens of amphorae -- two-handled jars widely used in ancient Greece for storing and transporting olive oil and wine -- were unearthed in the same area. Some bear inscriptions that indicate their production site and year, providing valuable evidence of trade and distribution networks.
Fragments of glass goblets found nearby suggest that wine was also consumed at the site, implying that parts of the complex may have served both industrial and social functions.
The discovery of animal bones within a pool points to the possible use of the area for ritual activities, a practice consistent with Greek and Roman traditions linking production and ceremony.
The findings at Bathonea reveal how Greek agricultural practices, particularly wine and olive oil production, shaped the economic and cultural landscape of the Marmara region. The city's industrial zone reflects a continuity of techniques that spread from Anatolia and Mesopotamia through the Aegean and across the Mediterranean.
Wine, once a symbol of divine and royal privilege, evolved into a part of daily life in Greek and Roman societies, serving social, religious, and medicinal roles. The Bathonea workshop embodies this transformation, illustrating how ancient production blended functionality, artistry, and ritual.
The ongoing excavations highlight Bathonea's importance as a center of Greek industry and culture. The expanding workshop complex demonstrates the city's role as a crossroads of trade, craftsmanship, and faith.
Together, the discoveries offer a rare glimpse into the enduring Greek influence that shaped life in the region nearly two millennia ago.