The archaeological ruins of the Ionian city of Ephesus are located in western Turkey at the mouth of the Cayster River as it enters the Aegean Sea. Archaeological evidence shows that the vicinity of Ephesus was occupied pretty much continuously between the 3rd millennium BC into the present day.
Main occupations at Ephesus include a Mycenaean trading post (1699-1400 BC), and the Sanctuary of Artemis, built about 800 BC and by 600 BC an important temple province drawing pilgrims from all over the Near East and eastern Mediterranean. There are also notable Roman and Byzantine occupations.
Archaeologists associated with Ephesus include John Wood and D.C. Hogarth in the 19th century. More recently, Wilhelm Alzinger, S. Karwiese, Franz Miltner, Ekrem Akurgal, and Anton Bammer have continued research at Ephesus. An interesting paper on urban water supply at Ephesus was published in 2001 by C.R. Ortloff and D.P. Crouch.
Sources
This article is a part of the About.com Guide to Biblical Archaeology, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
For more detail on Ephesus, see the article Ephesus: Before You Go.
Ortloff, C. R. and D. P. Crouch 2001 The urban water supply and distribution system of the Ionian city of Ephesos in the Roman Imperial period. Journal of Archaeological Science 28:843-860.
