A team of international researchers working in the ancient Phrygian city of Aizanoi, Turkey, has discovered the foundations of a 2,300-year-old temple dedicated to a local deity known as the 'Winged Serpent'. This Hellenistic-era sanctuary predates the famous Roman Temple of Zeus at the site and provides new insights into the pre-Roman religious landscape of Anatolia.
The discovery includes a series of serpentine friezes and a central altar containing charred remains of botanical offerings. The temple's orientation suggests a specific alignment with the constellation Draco during the spring equinox, highlighting the advanced astronomical knowledge of the local Phrygian priesthood before the Roman conquest.