SA Maritime Underwater Services (SAMUS) has successfully completed the first phase of survey program comprised of acquiring more than 1 300 hectares of bathymetric data to support the archaeological study of the ancient town of Perinthos in the Marmara region of Turkey 90 km West of Istanbul. The job was completed safely and efficiently in May 2022, within the agreed project schedule.
The acquisition of this large data set, prioritizing ultra-shallow water survey done by means of the Unmanned Surface Vehicle to the minimum depth of 40cm, and covering areas with potential for ancient historical artefacts as well as previously unknown geological structures represents a unique opportunity for our partners in the project Asst. Prof. Dr. Caner İmren and Prof. Dr. Zeynep Erdem to support their future archaeological excavation activities on site. The advanced acquisition and processing techniques deployed by SAMUS produced outstanding seabed images revealing fresh insights into this promising, underexplored Turkey cultural and historical heritage.
Prof. Dr. Zeynep Erdem – Perinthos Site Head Archaeologist of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University commented:
“Perinthos is a very important metropolitan and port city located on the coast of Propontis (Marmara Sea) of Ancient Thrace, which was the capital city during the Roman Period. Many magnificent structures such as temples, a theatre, stadium, basilica, and city walls were built in the settlement, which was also the privileged and favourite city of the Roman emperors. Since no long-term scientific excavations have been carried out in the ancient city, apart from a few pieces of research and rescue excavations of the Tekirdağ Museum, most of these structures are under the ground. In addition to the excavations we carry out in the area with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it is of great importance to understand the traces and remains of underground structures by using modern technology before the excavation. For this reason, the contributions of Caner İmren from the ITU Geophysical Engineering Department and his team and SAMUS company are of great importance in the geophysical studies carried out. These studies are expected to reach very important scientific results. Fully scanning of the site with bathymetric studies on the sea part of the ancient site, photogrammetry and lidar studies on land, and applications with other geophysical methods will be the first example to be carried out in the ancient cities of Turkish Thrace.”
For further information:
SAMUS, info@samus.tech, www.samus.tech, +90 537 441 55 85
Asst. Prof. Dr. Caner İmren
İstanbul Technical University, Faculty of Mines, Department of Geophysical Engineering caner@itu.edu.tr
Prof. Dr. Zeynep Erdem
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Archaeology zerdem@gmail.com
About SAMUS:
SAMUS is a newly created Turkish survey company with a massive passion for the innovative technology focused on the delivery of safe, effective and reliable high-quality bathymetric, geophysical, subsea inspection, and aerial mappings survey services for a wide range of clients, from commercial seaports and private marinas harbour authorities, underwater assets owners, offshore renewable energy, oil & gas and public sector marine industries.