Archaeologists Surprised to Unearth Face-Down 2500-Year-Old Statue Almost Completely Intact

The Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the discovery of a 2500-year-old marble statue of a local religious figure in Sardis, placed face down centuries ago to fill an ancient pothole. The statue, measuring 2.2 meters high, was found intact and preserved in its original state, offering new insights into the region’s local elite, their religious practices, and cultural exchanges with neighboring societies during the Roman period. The statue was embedded among ancient paving stones and was carefully removed from the site, revealing two large sections that were previously unknown.

The statue, dated to between 470 and 450 B.C., was intentionally broken into two larger pieces during the Roman period, with the purpose of patching the road. Some smaller pieces, such as hands and feet, remain undiscovered. Researchers noted that the statue’s facial features, including long hair and an upright posture, bore similarities to artworks from the 6th century B.C., but its creation date was placed a century later. The statue also contained details pointing to its Lydian origin, such as a thick outer coat, a chiton-like garment, and horizontal lines representing a third layer of clothing. These details have not been previously identified in Greek or Anatolian sculptures.

The discovery is considered rare among known Mediterranean monumental sculptures due to the combination of details found in the statue and the preservation of those details despite its unusual placement. Ministry officials suggested that the statue may have been used as an offering to an unnamed god or goddess, and the combination of its features and the period it was created in offers a unique look into the local beliefs and daily life of the region’s elites. The team is planning further tests to examine the statue’s original color and the surrounding soil for traces of ancient paint.

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