Archaeological work that has been in progress for a decade in the ancient city of Antandros located in modern day Bal1 kesir province's Alt1 noluk district is nearly complete, and a host of educational projects to showcase the site's findings is in the works.
Work at Antandros, led by Ege University archaeology professor Dr. Gürcan Polat, is expected to be completed any day now -- and a project has already been set under way to document the journey of Roman Empire founder and Trojan hero Aeneas from Antandros to Rome's Latium region. The 29-person team of archaeologists working at the site have uncovered a Roman villa, necropolis and residential areas. The project will culminate with a documentary to showcase the team's findings and educate the public, which they hope will be funded by the European Union.
Polat explained that they wanted to conduct a re-enactment of Aeneas' historic journey to create the documentary. "A boat will be built to historic specifications, the Tempest, which will depart from Alt1 noluk and follow the course used around 700 B.C., using only an oar and sails. We want to repeat that historic journey with the Tempest, from the Aegean islands and the shores of Greece through to Italy's city of Castro," he said.
He also noted that the journey would be documented on video: "This isn't just a joyride -- at every location visited, the story will be reenacted and documented. I believe that in this way an important documentary source will be created and I hope that this will contribute to the promotion abroad of both Antandros and Turkey."
According to mythological sources, Aeneas was the national hero of the Romans and the father of Emperor Augustus. According to legend, after the fall of Troy, Aeneas led the Trojans to another city in search of a new home, first gathering with survivors at Antandros (Alt1 noluk) and setting sail on the open sea from there. They are said to have been blown off course, landing in Kartaca where they were hosted by its Queen Dido until setting sail again, eventually landing in Italy, where they would join forces with the Sabines and go on to found Rome.
Originally Posted @ Archaeology News
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