Archaeologists have uncovered the "beautiful" head of a marble statue thought to depict an ancient Greco-Roman god.
A team led by Natalia Poulou of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki found the artifact, which is around 1,800 years old, during excavations at the ancient city of Philippi in northeastern Greece, the country's Ministry of Culture said in a press release.
The city has a long history spanning many centuries. It was founded by Greek colonists in the fourth century B.C. and continued to be occupied throughout the Roman era before it was abandoned in the late medieval period.
With the establishment of the Roman Empire in the region following the Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C., the city developed to resemble a "small Rome" in terms of layout and architecture. Later, Philippi became an important center of the early Christian faith following the visit of the apostle Paul around A.D. 49 to 50.
The ruins of the ancient city were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, in large part thanks to its exceptional Roman architecture and its importance to early Christianity.
"Philippi is one of the most celebrated archaeological sites in Greece," Anastasios Tantsis, an archaeologist with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a member of the excavation team, told Newsweek.
The university excavation project at Philippi is a long-running affair, having begun in the 1960s. But starting from 2021 archaeologists began working systematically in an area at the juncture of the city's two major streets.
During the 2022 excavation season, the team uncovered part of a structure at this juncture that seems likely to have been a fountain. Among the "impressive" decorative fittings adorning the structure, the team unearthed a marble statue of the Greco-Roman demigod Heracles depicted as a youth. Heracles (called Hercules by the Romans) was a legendary hero in classical mythology, famous for his strength and far-ranging adventures.
During last year's excavation season, Tantsis said, the team unearthed another "very interesting" find—the head of a statue most likely depicting Apollo, one of the most widely revered and influential of all the Greco-Roman gods. The "beautiful" head belongs to a bearded male figure with a wreath of laurel leaves, according to the Greek Ministry of Culture.
"The moment of the discovery was thrilling. On both occasions, students taking part in the excavation—it is, after all, an educational excavation—were really enthusiastic. We believe that even though these are moments of special importance for us too, sharing them with our students adds to the thrill," Tantsis said.
Like the statue of Heracles, the recently uncovered statue head probably dates back to the second or early third century and likely adorned the fountain, which took its final form during the eighth to ninth centuries.
"The excavation will continue this summer, and we hope to unearth further evidence about the structure embellished by these statues and the area it stood in. We expect to find more of the statue like in the case of Hercules as we expand the area under excavation," Tantsis said.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about archaeology? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
