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Mar-mar-mar Marmaris

Here’s an update on a major underwater recovery, the first Byzantine port of Constantinople, on the Sea of Marmaris.

So far, 32 wooden ships, Stone Age skeletons, coins, amphorae and even a basket full of ancient cherries have been uncovered … Dating from the time of the Roman emperor Theodosius I, in the fourth century AD, the finds are an unprecedented glimpse into the ancient trade and maritime life of one of the world’s longest-inhabited cities…

They include a woman’s shoe with an ancient Greek inscription: “Use it in health, lady, be in beauty and happiness and wear it.”

I can’t help but think of the Empress Eudoxia. Perhaps it was a gift from St. John Chrysostom? If so, we can be sure it’s a sensible shoe.

The site also bears relics of continued Byzantine presence after the harbour had been filled in. A Byzantine tannery and charnel house were discovered at the western end of the excavation, as well as human skulls – perhaps those of executed criminals – thrown into a well.

Lots of candidates for those. Too many to list.