'Long-term urban change at Aphrodisias: New results from the Place of Palms and Governor’s House' Evidence from the Place of the Palms has revealed not just the intimate details of daily life and gaming in one of the city’s public spaces in use over several centuries, but also important evidence for conflict at the time of the early-seventh-century wars between Rome and the Sassanian empire. In addition, current excavations aim to better understand the full extent of the North Temenos House and its chronology and function. Central aims are to determine the full extent of the house and to establish a chronology of its occupation, which continued uninterrupted throughout the Byzantine Dark Ages. A round statue base inscribed in Latin for a late antique governor was found lying in the house in the 1960s. The presence of a governor’s statue in this centrally located mansion strongly suggests this was the provincial governor’s residence in the late antique period.This event will be hybrid, please choose which option you would prefer when registering (see link). Professor Ben RussellBen Russell is Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at the University of Edinburgh. He is a specialist in Roman sculpture, architecture and urbanism. Between 2012 and 2017, Ben co-directed the excavations in the Place of Palms at Aphrodisias with Andrew Wilson, a project that has now been published. Since 2023, he has been coordinating excavations in the North Temenos House at Aphrodisias, a structure now identified as the house of the provincial governor. This event is in partnership with the British Institute at Ankara. Professor Russell's staff profile Mar 09 2026 17.10 - 18.30 'Long-term urban change at Aphrodisias: New results from the Place of Palms and Governor’s House' This talk presents preliminary results from excavations at the Place of the Palms and the Governor’s House at Aphrodisias, one of the most significant long-term classical excavations in western Türkiye. G.159 - MacLaren Stuart Room (Old College), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL Old College Register (free)
'Long-term urban change at Aphrodisias: New results from the Place of Palms and Governor’s House' Evidence from the Place of the Palms has revealed not just the intimate details of daily life and gaming in one of the city’s public spaces in use over several centuries, but also important evidence for conflict at the time of the early-seventh-century wars between Rome and the Sassanian empire. In addition, current excavations aim to better understand the full extent of the North Temenos House and its chronology and function. Central aims are to determine the full extent of the house and to establish a chronology of its occupation, which continued uninterrupted throughout the Byzantine Dark Ages. A round statue base inscribed in Latin for a late antique governor was found lying in the house in the 1960s. The presence of a governor’s statue in this centrally located mansion strongly suggests this was the provincial governor’s residence in the late antique period.This event will be hybrid, please choose which option you would prefer when registering (see link). Professor Ben RussellBen Russell is Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at the University of Edinburgh. He is a specialist in Roman sculpture, architecture and urbanism. Between 2012 and 2017, Ben co-directed the excavations in the Place of Palms at Aphrodisias with Andrew Wilson, a project that has now been published. Since 2023, he has been coordinating excavations in the North Temenos House at Aphrodisias, a structure now identified as the house of the provincial governor. This event is in partnership with the British Institute at Ankara. Professor Russell's staff profile Mar 09 2026 17.10 - 18.30 'Long-term urban change at Aphrodisias: New results from the Place of Palms and Governor’s House' This talk presents preliminary results from excavations at the Place of the Palms and the Governor’s House at Aphrodisias, one of the most significant long-term classical excavations in western Türkiye. G.159 - MacLaren Stuart Room (Old College), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL Old College Register (free)
Mar 09 2026 17.10 - 18.30 'Long-term urban change at Aphrodisias: New results from the Place of Palms and Governor’s House' This talk presents preliminary results from excavations at the Place of the Palms and the Governor’s House at Aphrodisias, one of the most significant long-term classical excavations in western Türkiye.
