Turkish Government Oks Flooding of Country's "Pompeii"

Despite a temporary reprieve of at least 10 days, the Turkish government is committed to keeping the water rising behind the newly built Birecik Dam on the Euphrates River. Once the water rises another 16 feet, the city of Zeugma, called by some archaeologists "Turkey's Pompeii," will be permanently submerged along with her countless treasures.

Since 1999 archaeologists have been working at a heightened pace to excavate but much of the work has centered on two Roman villas -- a mere fraction of the ancient city originally founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals. At its height, the city had a population of more than 70,000, and was prosperous until destroyed by the Sassanids around 250 AD.

Already, according to MSNBC, more than 1,000 square meters of exquisite Roman mosaics and wall paintings have been discovered. These are being ripped from their ancient homes by pick axes and bull-dozers and carried off to the local museum at Gaziantep where many are piled in the garden hidden under tarpaulins.

Nearly 4,000 silver and bronze coins and a statute of Mars were also found.

For now, archaeologists from Australia and France work feverishly to salvage a few remaining artifacts before the Turkish government gives the go ahead to raise the water level another 16 feet and obliterate all traces of this significant Hellenistic and Roman village.

For more on this story, see the full report on MSNBC: Turkey's Dam Puts Antiquities at Risk.