Roman agricultural production sites in Turkey

Archaeological findings in Turkey have highlighted the scale of agricultural production during the Roman Era. At the 2,000-year-old Lyrboton Kome site in Antalya, excavations revealed a major olive oil production hub known as ‘Elaibaris’. The site featured numerous workshops and large-scale facilities, with evidence suggesting that the Demeter Priestess Arete used her personal wealth to establish a foundation and construct an olive oil tower. The economic output from this site contributed to the monumental construction and strength of the nearby city of Perge.

In a separate discovery at Antiochia ad Cragum on the southern coast, research published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology shows that an ancient Roman bathhouse was repurposed into an industrial agricultural facility. Originally built in the late 2nd or early 3rd century CE, the Small Bath complex was modified during the Late Roman period to facilitate wine and olive oil production. Archaeologists identified structural changes, such as a new wall installed to accommodate a rotary trapetum mill and a stone press bed, as well as channels and vats used for grape processing.