Mine Yar / Celaleddin Kucuk

(Art Restoration, Istanbul, Turkey)

Zeugma located in Gaziantep city is a worldwide known ancient city with its mosaics whose some part was flooded by a dam built on the Euphrates since the year 2000. In order to save this ancient city, both national and international campaigns have been launched and the excavations have been further extended.
Zeugma excavations that have been continuing from 1997 have been made by various groups of archeologists in various terms.
< These groups’ periods and strategies have been;

  1. Until June of 2000,The protection strategy of the group of archeologists formed of Gaziantep Museum and Nantes University was to carry everything that was discovered in the ancient city to the Gaziantep museum.,
  2. Between July to October of 2000, Strategy of the excavation by an international group under sponsorship of Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) between was to move the precious artifacts (some mosaics) and leave others under water as protected.
  3. At the same period with PHI also excavation works made by Zig Team (Zeugma Rescue Team). Their strategy was artifacts have been left under waters after their definition and plans were realized since October of 2000 to present,
  4. Due to the excavation and protections project on the area affected by waves, carried all findings to the Gaziantep Museum and built a wall to prevent the waves to further damage to the ancient city.
  5. In-situ protection principle has been implemented in the excavation works in some part of the ancient city that has not been affected by flood.

In the first part of paper, those works made in the past will be told.
In the second section of paper, different methods and protection strategies implemented in the Zeugma excavations will be evaluated due to today’s conditions.
And, a few suggestions for the excavation and protection works will take place in the last part of the paper.