Rare Marble Statue Discovered in Earthquake-Destroyed City

A rare marble statue from the Roman era has been discovered in an ancient city destroyed by earthquakes some 1,600 years ago.

The “exceptionally well-preserved” statue was found in the sewer system of Heraclea Sintica – a settlement founded in the 4th century BC in what is now southwestern Bulgaria, near the country's border with Greece.

The city, also known as Heraclea Strymoniki, was founded by colonists from the ancient kingdom of Macedon – the earliest version of which was centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula. The settlement was founded during the reign of Philip II, father of the legendary ruler Alexander the Great.

In the mid-2nd century BC, Heraclea Sintica was occupied by Rome, and later formed part of the Roman Empire, founded in 27 BC. But towards the end of the 4th century AD, a massive earthquake struck the city, causing extensive damage.

This was followed by another severe earthquake around AD 425, which destroyed much of the city's infrastructure. Heraclea Sintica fell into rapid decline in the wake of the disasters, and by about AD 500 it appears to have been largely abandoned.

Archaeologists work around an ancient statue discovered at the Heraclea Sintica archaeological site, near the city of Petrich, Bulgaria, on July 5, 2024. The well-preserved statue is believed to depict the ancient Greek god Hermes. More photos by DOBRIN KASHAVELOV/AFP via Getty Images

The newly discovered statue in Heraclea Sintica is more than 6 feet tall and likely depicts Hermes, one of the most popular gods in the region, archaeologist Lyudmil Vagalinsky said in a Facebook post from the scientific journal Archaeologii Bulgaria.

Hermes is an Olympian god in ancient Greek mythology and was considered the messenger of the gods. The state of preservation of the nearly complete statue is particularly remarkable, with its head still attached to its shoulders.

“We still have a lot of work to do and I don’t want to rush to conclusions, but from now on I can say that this ancient statue is not only the best preserved among [those] “Many antiquities have been discovered here, but also on the territory of Bulgaria in general,” Vagalinski said in a Facebook post.

“I believe that the town's former inhabitants placed it in the soil of this site after the great earthquake of the fourth century – to better preserve one of their ancient gods during a period when Christianity was already the official religion. [of the Roman Empire]”.”

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The newly discovered statue was not fully revealed until July 4 — with some parts still buried in the ground — according to another post on Archaeologia Bulgarica's Facebook page.

“But we're showing it to you again at this point, from different angles, because you can already see that it's amazing!” the post reads.

The statue appears to have been carved from a single block of marble by a skilled sculptor, probably in the 2nd century AD. According to archaeologists, there are similarities to other depictions of the god Hermes, but “very few” similar statues have survived in the world.

The newly discovered marble statue at Heraclea Synthica has not yet been fully revealed – the other hand with the cloth thrown around it has not been completely freed from dirt. But we show it to you again at this stage,…

In fact, the statue is a unique discovery in Bulgaria, according to Vagalinski. He told AFP that such Roman copies of ancient Greek models exist in Athens and northern Greece, but they are rare.

Archaeologists plan to carefully transport it to the nearby Petrich Historical Museum, where it will be displayed after necessary restoration and conservation work.

Do you have a tip for a science story that Newsweek should cover? Have a question about archaeology? Let us know at [email protected].

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