It was revealed that Istanbul's history goes back 8,500 years during the archaeological excavation at the Yenikapı Marmaray construction site, as 8,000-year-old skeletons alongside more graves were discovered.
The graves reveal that Istanbul was home to the earliest settlements during the Stone Age. Other than skeletons, there were remains of 34 sunken ships dating back to the seventh and 11th centuries. The relics are conserved at the Istanbul University and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in Bodrum currently. Remnants of some walls were also found during the excavations. They're considered the primary city walls of Constantinople, erected when Byzantium founded the town.
About 500 pieces taken from the relics unearthed during the Marmaray excavations have been exhibited at the Istanbul Archeology Museum. Archaeologists discovered animal remains and skeletons dating back to the Byzantine period in 2020.
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