Rare Roman marble bathtub, statue unearthed at Ephesus

İZMİR

Archaeologists working at the ancient city of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have uncovered a rare Roman-era marble bathtub and a male statue during this year’s excavation season, Turkish authorities have announced.

The discoveries were made as part of the “Heritage for the Future: Endless Ephesus” initiative led by Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, a long-term project combining excavation, conservation and restoration with the creation of new visitor routes across the sprawling archaeological landscape.

Excavation and restoration works are being carried out through a joint model involving the Ephesus Museum, the Austrian Archaeological Institute and affiliated units of the ministry, according to Serdar Aybek, a faculty member of the Dokuz Eylül University and coordinator of the project.

Aybek said long-overgrown areas of Ephesus are being systematically cleared, allowing archaeologists to recover significant artifacts for museum collections. He noted that excavations along Stadium Street have yielded particularly striking results this year.

Among the most notable finds is a finely crafted marble bathtub believed to date back to the first century A.D. Discovered during works along Stadium Street, the bathtub is thought to have belonged to the so-called Terrace Houses — luxurious residences once inhabited by Ephesus’ Roman elite.

Measuring 146 by 73 centimeters and standing 60 meters high, the tub was carved from “Greco Seritto,” a regional type of marble.

Aybek underlined the importance of bathing culture in the Roman world, where monumental public bath complexes, such as Ephesus’ famous Harbor Bath, served large crowds. “These were vast public structures,” he explained, “but there were also smaller bathtubs designed for domestic use. This piece is one of those rare examples and not something we encounter frequently.”

He added that the bathtub’s dimensions and depth clearly indicate household use rather than a funerary function. “Meaningful details such as the refined craftsmenship, claw-shaped feet, egg-and-dart [‘kyma’] ornamentatiın and the use of a distinctive local stone suggest it once belonged to a wealthy family,” Aybek said.

The bathtub was later repurposed during late-period repairs, the team determined. “We identified that it has been used as a fountain trough,” Aybek noted. “Two holes were drilled — one for water entry and one for exit — altering its original form.”

Another unexpected discovery along Stadium Street was a male statue sculğted from separate pieces, with stylistic features dating it to between the first century B.C and the first century A.D.

Measuring 123 by 50 centimeters, the statue had been laid face down and reused as a paving stone. “It was a complete surprise,” Aybek said, adding that the artifact has now been transferred to the Ephesus Museum, where it will enrich its already remarkable collection.