Vedat Onar
Findings throw light on Istanbul’s wildlife history
Türkiye's first Osteoarchaeology Application and Research Center at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa (IÜÇ) has revealed important findings that throw light on Istanbul's diverse wildlife from 8,500 years ago.
Though Istanbul is famous for its cats and seagulls today, many species ranging from elephants to deer and vultures to loggerheads were found in Istanbul thousands of years ago.
Byzantines cast spells with dolphin oil, says expert
The Byzantines hunted dolphins and used dolphin oil in the pharmaceutical industry, in oil lamps and in some superstitious works, said Vedat Onar, professor at Istanbul University, examining animal bones unearthed in archaeological excavations at Istanbul's Haydarpaşa, a historic train station on the Asian side.
They used dolphin oil to cast spells, according to Onar.
Cat skeletons in Yenikapı metro site reveal new facts
Excavations at the undersea metro construction sites of Yenikapı and Marmaray in Istanbul that were carried out between 2004 and 2014 in Istanbul unearthed cat remains and skeletons along with many other animals dating back to the Byzantine era. Some of these were given to the Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Veterinary Faculty of (IUC).
Animal fossils in Istanbul shedding light on history
Turkey's only Osteoarchaeology Application and Research Center continues to shed light on Istanbul's past thanks to the large number of animal fossils and others that were discovered during the Marmaray diggingsIstanbul's Marmaray not only altered the face of Turkey's largest city, it also changed how the city looks at its own history.