A lost city, and island that was at one time the location of a grand Spartan battle, might have been found again in Turkey. Crews of archaeologists have discovered indication that portions of a peninsula located in the western Izmir region of the country were formerly an island. They have believe that it might be the ancient Island of Kane, one time home to a city of the same name, and which was the place of an epic battle between the Athenians and Spartans in 406 BC.
The Island of Kane is believed to have been one of three Arginus landmasses. Two of these endure, and are now recognized as the Garip islands. Geologists believe that sediment filled strait between Kane and the mainland, so it became a peninsula. Ceramics, pottery, and the ancient ruins themselves have been found close to the settlement of Bademli, which lies on the peninsula, suggesting it was the location of the city Kane. The position of the Island of Kane, which is talked about in ancient literature, had been lost to modern archaeologist – until now.
The Peloponnesian war saw the Spartans, already recognized as a mighty military state, become the dominant power in ancient Greece.
Professor Felix Pirson, an archaeologist working alongside the German Archaeology Institute primary in leading the project, stated the discovery answered a long-running mystery about the place of the ancient Greek city.
The Battle of Arginusae
The ancient metropolis of Kane was identified as a tactically important harbor and was used by the Romans for the duration of the war againstAntiochas III in 191 to 190 BC. The Battle of Arginusaee, fought between the Athenians and the Spartans in 406BC, was one of the most important events of the 30-year Peloponnesian conflict that ravaged Ancient Greece. An inexperienced but far more numerous navy convoy achieved to inflicting a substantial, but short-lived conquest on the Spartan ships. The Athenian convoy had sailed to the Arginusae islands and made camp on the island before they were attacked by the Spartan leader Callicratidas. In total, the Spartans are thought to have lost 75 ships, and the Athenians lost 25.
The Battle of Arginusae saw the Spartan fleet overpowered by the more numerous but less skilled Athenian fleet. It is considered to be the most important naval battle of the Peloponnesian Warfare, but its precise location has long been a mystery due to the unknown location of Kane. This new discovery will greatly aid the search for any artifacts from the battle that may remain at the bottom of the sea.
Güler Ateş, a researcher at Celal Bayar Universit, said: “It is understood that this place was like a waystation along important routes such as Lesbos and Adramytteion (today Edremit) in the north and Elaia [Zeytindağ], the main harbor of the ancient city of Pergamon, in the south.”