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The Archaeological Discoveries at Sagalassos: Revelations about Life in an Ancient Roman City

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Getty Villa, Auditorium
Admission: Free; a ticket is required. Call (310) 440-7300 or use the "Get Tickets" button below.



Once a bustling Roman metropolis, Sagalassos in southwest Turkey was reduced to rubble by a cataclysmic earthquake in the seventh century. Rediscovered after centuries of obscurity, Sagalassos today is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the Mediterranean.

Marc Waelkens of the Catholic University of Leuven, who has directed the excavation at Sagalassos for nearly two decades, offers an illustrated tour of the structures his team has discovered at the mountaintop site. Some, such as an outdoor theater, bath complex, and 60-room mansion, testify to civic grandeur and elite luxury. Others, such as a shopping street, food market, library, and potters' workshops, offer a vivid picture of everday life in the ancient world.

Waelkens also discusses several over-life-size, exquisitely carved sculptures of Roman emperors recently located by his team—hailed by the Archaeological Institute of America as one of the top ten discoveries of 2008. Waelkens explains the meaning of these colossal statues and reveals what others he expects to find as excavations continue.

About Marc Waelkens
Marc Waelkens is a professor of archaeology at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and an expert on the ancient cultures of what is now Turkey. As director of the excavation at Sagalassos, he heads one of the largest and most interdisciplinary archaeology projects in the Mediterranean. Waelkens has also conducted field research at other sites, including several in Greece, Syria, Italy, and Egypt.

Learn more about Sagalassos on the Web site of the Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project.

Archaeological dig and ruins at Sagalassos in Turkey


How to Get Here
The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, approximately 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. See Hours, Directions, Parking for directions and parking information.

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