Assos Nekropolis

The necropolis of Assos, the ancient Aeolian city on the Aegean coast in Çanakkale's Ayvacık district, lies west of the city walls and ranks among the most extensively studied burial grounds of ancient Anatolia. Archaeological trenches there show the cemetery was in continuous use from the first half of the sixth century BC through the second century BC, spanning the city's Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. Excavations, including work carried out in 1995, uncovered grave goods such as terracotta figurines associated with the cult of Dionysus, gold jewelry, and painted vases left as offerings, with some burials dated to the first half of the fourth century BC. In the Roman period Assos became known for producing sarcophagi carved from local andesite stone, exporting them much as the island of Marmara did with its marble. Many of the ceramics, figurines, coins, and other finds recovered from the necropolis are now held in the Çanakkale Archaeology Museum.