The main aim of the work in 2018 was to continue the construction of the imperial baths in the east of the city centre. The four sections were created for this purpose. The SW corner of the room discovered in 2017, in the centre of which there is a swimming pool, was uncovered. However, stone robbery has led to severe damage here. The floor of the surrounding corridor with mosaic is largely destroyed and only the foundations made of large limestone blocks remain of the columns that surrounded the pool. The outer walls have also been lost. Only a small section of the basin itself remains in the north-east spandrel. Overall, however, it is now possible to reliably reconstruct the room. It had a floor area of approx. 150 square metres, the basin was approx. 25 square metres in size. Numerous fragments of building components were discovered in the backfill of the basin, which confirm a dating of the building to the 2nd century AD.

To the west is a large rectangular room, parts of which were uncovered in 2017. A massive bedding made of mortar was uncovered here over an area of 13 x 5 metres. To the east, it ends just before the profile, but the boundary wall and its foundations were robbed out. The room was located in the centre of the bath complex and had an area of well over 100 square metres. However, its function is still unclear. A sewer runs through the massive foundation of the floor. To the south of it, sections of another room were discovered, on the floor of which were supports made of round brick slabs made of mortar in situ. This makes it clear that it was a hypocaust. Numerous mosaic fragments and parts of square brick slabs belong to the former floor. A further search cut in the west of the thermal baths revealed part of another screed floor with a sewage pipe running through it. Fragments of rectangular limestone slabs, which formed the original floor, are still preserved in situ. The floor breaks off to the west, so that the original extension of the baths in this direction could not be determined. The function of the room in the bath also remains to be seen.

Overall, it can be said that the symmetrical structure of the complex was modelled on Roman examples. Access must have been from the north. The partially uncovered room with swimming pool is part of the unheated rooms. The hot rooms are located to the south. The mosaic decoration dates the complex to the 2nd/3rd century A.D. Overall, it is strongly characterised by Roman models and shows the Roman influence on city life in ancient northern Syria. In the course of the 4th and 5th centuries AD, the entire complex was systematically plundered in order to obtain building materials. Even the foundations of the walls were largely looted, so that the building is only preserved in negative form. There is no evidence of any later use of the site.

The findings in an excavation area to the east of the baths are related to the looting in the 4th century AD. A large lime kiln with an outer diameter of 5 metres and a depth of 2.10 metres came to light here. It was built into the slope and was fuelled via an entrance from the east. Due to its good preservation, its further investigation will improve our knowledge of ancient technology. In general, the area appears to have been predominantly used for industrial purposes in late antiquity. This is also indicated by numerous finds of scrap metal, including many fragments of bronze statues, which were apparently intended to be melted down again.

The kiln was sunk into thick layers of fill, which mainly contained artefacts from the Roman imperial period. Two walls running parallel from east to west, which were destroyed by the lime kiln in the west, also date to this period. Further excavation work is necessary to clarify their function. However, the excavations have already shown that the imperial period features in this area are far better preserved than in the area of the thermal baths.

Following the discovery of an early Christian basilica in the previous year, the aim of the work in 2018 was to investigate how the church was integrated into the neighbouring area. Two sections were created for this purpose. A search section runs from the southern aisle of the church down the slope to the south. It was found that a further corridor decorated with a mosaic was located in front of the side aisle. The screed and small remains of the mosaic are still preserved. The wall that closed off this room to the south has been lost except for the lowest layer. To the south of the wall, apart from fill layers, no ancient features have yet been revealed; the layers contain building elements that can be assigned to the church. Work will continue here next year.

A further section lies to the south of the area where the apse of the church must have been located. A section of a large room came to light here, which was decorated with a simple, largely white mosaic floor. It is around 5 metres wide and its orientation deviates slightly from that of the church. Its east-west extension is still unclear. Up to two layers of the southern boundary wall made of reused ashlars have been preserved, while only one layer of the northern wall remains. The function of the room is unclear, but it must have belonged to the church. The simple design of the mosaic either means that it was an insignificant side room or that it was built at a later date. Overall, the finds from both search sections show that the use of the area began in the late 4th century AD and ended in the 7th century AD, probably as a result of earthquake destruction. The new results also confirm the assumption that the basilica was an important church, which is also of great interest due to its early dating.

In addition to the excavation work, an intensive survey of the urban area was continued. The aim is to clarify the extent of the city, the duration of the settlement and questions of settlement topography in the various phases of the settlement. Based on the results, it is already possible to make statements not only about the density of settlement in individual areas of the city in Roman and Byzantine times, but also about the character of the buildings. It is therefore possible to identify a sanctuary, another bath and industrially utilised areas in the finds. Parts of a fortification of the highest area of the city (‘acropolis’) were also discovered.

The work in Doliche in 2017 provided important insights into the development and history of the town. The work focussed on the exploration of a public bathing facility of considerable size. An approx. 150 square metre room with a swimming pool, which was part of the cold baths, was partially uncovered. Parts of the heating system under the floor of the hot rooms in the south of the complex were discovered. The adoption of Roman bathing customs testifies to a strong Roman influence on city life.

It is interesting to note that the baths were no longer in use by the 4th century AD. By this time, the inhabitants had left this part of the city, probably due to wars and economic crises that had led to the decline of the cities of northern Syria since the middle of the 3rd century AD. The baths and the surrounding buildings, which were part of the public centre of the Roman city, were abandoned. However, this crisis did not mean the end of Doliche. Under new, Christian auspices, the city began to flourish again from the 4th century AD. Among other things, the building materials from the baths were used for the necessary new buildings. Even the foundations were looted, as were all the furnishings. A large lime kiln, which was discovered in this year, should also be seen in this context.

The renewed upswing in Doliche in late antiquity is emphasised by the results of the excavations in the south of the city. Search cuttings south of the church revealed side rooms and extensions to the church complex. This means that the church complex is much more extensive than previously assumed. Its further uncovering promises to significantly expand our knowledge of religious life and sacred architecture in late antique northern Syria. The finds from the area show that the church ceased to be used in the 7th century, possibly due to an earthquake.

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