Archaeologists Uncover Remarkably Preserved 1,600-Year-Old Roman Winery in Turkey

In a remarkable discovery, archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a 1,600-year-old Roman wine production site that has been remarkably preserved beneath the ruins of an ancient mountain castle. The site, located near the village of Oymakli in southeastern Turkey's Kahta district, provides a rare glimpse into the scale and sophistication of winemaking during the late Roman period.

The excavation, led by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has uncovered several installations used to crush grapes and channel the juice into cisterns for fermentation and storage. Grinding stones and remnants of clay vessels also suggest the complex produced flour and possibly olive oil, hinting at a wider agricultural economy. Experts believe the site once operated as a large-scale industrial winery, serving both local residents and the nearby Kahta Castle, an important stronghold during the Kingdom of Commagene.

The discovery offers an exceptional look into ancient craftsmanship and industrial-scale production, with the site's foundations remarkably well-preserved despite being built from irregular stones. Archaeologists say the blend of Roman engineering and local traditions in the architecture highlights the cultural fusion that defined this era, providing rare evidence of how local economies functioned under Roman rule in Anatolia's remote mountain regions.