Sunken City off Bal Esker
Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE)·Nazca·🇹🇷 Central Anatolia, Turkey
About
About Sunken City off Bal Esker
Sunken City off Bal Esker in Central Anatolia, Turkey is a Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) submerged city attributed to Nazca culture. Systematically investigated through ground-penetrating radar and coring, it presents a monumental core with ancillary settlement. Construction employs ashlar with clamp and demonstrates craft specialization. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Nazca submerged-city with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Construction labor organization and logistics
- 02Chronology and phasing of monuments
Theories
- 01Trading entrepôt and regional hub
- 02Territorial marker and boundary statement
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 164 CE
- Period
- Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE)
- Culture
- Nazca
- Purpose
- Residential and craft production
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
c. 164 CE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 313 CE
Major enlargement and wall circuit added
c. 529 CE
Peak occupation and regional prominence
1954
Scientific excavation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
37.1320° N · 32.5771° E · 1540 m · 4 mapped features
Outlier Panel
rampartOutlier feature with standing stones
37.1292° N · 32.5766° EOutlier Panel 2
shrineBurial zone — tumuli
37.1299° N · 32.5771° ETemple Platform
shrinePrimary submerged city at Sunken City off Bal Esker — enclosure wall
37.1347° N · 32.5745° EShrine
courtyardPrimary submerged city at Sunken City off Bal Esker — enclosure wall
37.1292° N · 32.5797° E