Archaeologists examining the ancient city of Acmoneia in western Turkey have analyzed nine 2,000-year-old inscriptions that reveal pre-Christian religious cults and civic traditions.
The study, published in the academic journal Gephyra, was conducted by Associate Professor Hüseyin Uzunoğlu of Akdeniz University and Associate Professor Münteha Dinç of Uşak University. Dated between the first and third centuries AD, the stones provide the first written proof of certain pagan rituals in the historic region of Phrygia.
Among the most significant discoveries is an inscription dedicated to a statue of Demeter Karpophoros, the Greek goddess of fertility and crops. Uzunoğlu told Fox News Digital that although the worship of Demeter was well known across other areas of Asia Minor, researchers had never found epigraphic evidence of her cult in Phrygia. He said the finding fills a major gap on the map of ancient religious practices.
Phrygia was an ancient inland region in western Anatolia, known in antiquity for its fertile agricultural land. Demeter, worshipped throughout the ancient Mediterranean as the guardian of harvests and grain, held special significance for farming communities relying on seasonal yields.
Lighting the streets and honoring women
Another inscription records that a wealthy benefactor named Demades commissioned a statue holding a torch. Researchers believe the illuminated monument helped light the main colonnaded street of Acmoneia at night. Uzunoğlu noted that such torch-bearing statues have been recorded at only two other archaeological sites, making the artifact exceptionally rare.
A separate stone pays tribute to a woman named Mandana, who served as the high priestess of the city. Her husband, Priscus, commissioned the monument in her honor. Uzunoğlu explained that the phrasing shows women in the region could hold high religious offices independently, noting that the civic distinction belonged strictly to Mandana rather than to the couple jointly.
Personal monuments and military bonds
The discoveries also offer a rare look into private lives and personal agreements in ancient Acmoneia. One funerary altar reveals that a tomb owner built a monument in advance for himself and his wife, setting a strict condition that she could not remarry after his death.
A second tombstone carries epitaphs dedicated to two men who appear to have been military comrades. The text notes that one of the men fell victim to unlawful hands, which Uzunoğlu said indicates he was likely murdered. He added that memorializing two soldiers together provides a rare human perspective on military friendship in ancient epigraphy.
Pre-Christian traditions in a biblical region
The region of Phrygia holds historical significance in Christian tradition, as it is mentioned in the New Testament in connection with the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. Paul traveled across Asia Minor during the first century AD to spread the early Christian faith throughout the Roman Empire.
Douglas Estes, an early Christianity scholar and professor at New College of Florida who was not involved in the study, said the inscriptions provide important context for the religious landscape Paul encountered. He noted that while historical records do not confirm whether Paul visited Acmoneia directly, extensive missionary dialogue took place across the surrounding district.
Estes added that archaeological evidence points to Christianity gaining early ground among ordinary citizens in Phrygia long before Roman Emperor Constantine legalized the religion in the fourth century. Uzunoğlu concluded that the true value of the nine stones lies in how they collectively clarify how the people of Acmoneia worshipped their deities, honored one another and buried their dead.
