Aspendos archaeologists discover 2,400-year-old tomb of possible ancient wrestler

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a 2,400-year-old tomb in a previously unknown cemetery on the eastern side of the ancient city of Aspendos. The stone-lined grave, dating between the late 5th and 4th centuries BCE, contained the remains of a single individual alongside silver coins known as staters.

The coins are imprinted with depictions of naked men wrestling. Based on these artifacts, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s minister of culture and tourism, stated that the occupant may have been an athlete or a wrestler, as Aspendos was known for such figures.

The discovery in the Eastern Necropolis is considered a significant find for the Classical Period of Aspendos. The city was a prosperous commercial center located near the Eurymedon River and had historical ties to both Greek traditions and Persian control.