Turkey: Ancient lost island where city of Kane was located discovered in Aegean

An ancient lost island where the Battle of Arginusae took place and the city of Kane was located have been discovered by geoarchaeologists. An international team of scientists sampled rocks taken from a small peninsula in the Aegean Region of western Turkey and found they related to an island mentioned in texts about the Peloponnesian War – an ancient Greek war between Athens and Sparta.

The island was one of the three "Arginus" islands and was the site where the famous Battle of Arginusae took place in the fourth century BC. The Athenians won but following the battle, the state's commander was executed for not helping wounded soldiers or burying the dead.

Researchers were led by the German Archaeology Institute. They found one of the peninsulas in İzmir's Dikili district was once an island, with land between it and the mainland filled with alluviums – soil or sediment deposited by water.

Further research revealed this ancient island held the city of Kane. They found harbours and evidence of the third island, with architectural remains and ceramics suggesting Kane was located on the peninsula in Bademli village. The two other islands are now known as the Garip Islands.

Archaeologist Felix Pirson told the Doğan News Agency: "It had been a matter of discussion if the islands here were the Arginus Islands or not until our research began. But then we revealed that the ancient Kane was located on an island in the past. The strait between this island and the land was filled with alluviums and created this peninsula. We will get more evident info after examining the geological samples.

"It is understood that this place was like a way station among important routes such as Lesbos and Adramytteion [today Edremit] in the north and Elaia [Zeytindağ], the main harbour of the ancient city of Pergamon, in the south."