Tion (Tios / Tieion) – Submerged Milesian Mole on Filyos River
Tios · Tieion · Filyos Harbour
Archaic to Byzantine (c. 600 BCE – 800 CE)·Milesian Greek / Paphlagonian / Persian / Hellenistic / Roman·🇹🇷 Zonguldak Province, Filyos / Çaycuma, Turkey
About
About Tion (Tios / Tieion) – Submerged Milesian Mole on Filyos River
Tion (Tios/Tieion) – Milesian colony (6th c. BCE) on the Billaios (Filyos) River mouth, Paphlagonian grain port and later Roman 'Tium' between Heraclea and Amastris. Its arched river-sea mole (40 m ashlar) and western harbour quay now lie submerged 2–3 m off Filyos delta after Black Sea rise + Filyos alluviation. Atasoy's survey (1991–) and 2022 Filyos Industrial Zone rescue mapped a submerged mole footing, chain of mooring stones and Hellenistic wreck ballast at –2.5 m 150 m offshore. The acropolis hill (Hisar hill) overlooks the drowned basin. Homer's 'Kytoros' timber trade used Tion harbour.
Why it mattersOnly Paphlagonian Milesian mole preserving river–sea transition on Black Sea; threatened by Filyos Industrial Port megaproject.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether mole was river mouth or open sea harbour
- 02Impact of Filyos dam/industrial port on submerged mole
Theories
- 01Homer Iliad Kytoros timber shipped via Tion river mouth
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Mole Milesian 6th c. BCE; harbour Hellenistic 3rd c. BCE
- Period
- Archaic to Byzantine (c. 600 BCE – 800 CE)
- Culture
- Milesian Greek / Paphlagonian / Persian / Hellenistic / Roman
- Purpose
- Billaios timber and grain port for Bithynia–Paphlagonia
- Abandoned
- 800 CE Arab raids + delta silting
- Rediscovered
- Atasoy 1991– Filyos survey; 2022 rescue
- Excavation
- Submerged
Mole Milesian 6th c. BCE; harbour Hellenistic 3rd c. BCE
Initial construction
c. 1357 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
41.5500° N · 32.0500° E · -2 m · 3 mapped features
Tios River-Sea Mole (40 m)
moleMilesian ashlar mole 40 m at –2.5 m – river-sea harbour arm
41.5505° N · 32.0505° EFilyos Harbour Basin (Submerged)
harbourHarbour basin 150×100 m at –2 to –3 m off delta with wreck ballast
41.5495° N · 32.0490° ETios Acropolis Hill (Hisar)
acropolisAcropolis hill overlooking submerged mole – polis overlook
41.5510° N · 32.0510° E