A Colossal Ancient Marble Statue Emerges at a UNESCO Site in Turkey
Archaeologists in the ancient city of Sardis in western Turkey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Manisa Province’s Salihli district, uncovered a seven-foot-tall marble statue dated to 470–450 BCE beneath what had been a Roman roadway. Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the sculpture is a rare surviving example of monumental marble statuary from the period and will be displayed at the Manisa Museum after conservation, under excavations administered by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums. Found in two large pieces and missing its feet and other fragments, the statue was repurposed in Roman times and placed under paving, which helped preserve facial features and details. Experts describe it as stylistically hybrid and note its distinctive striped garment and an object in the right hand—possibly a quince offering—that may shed light on local Lydian traditions and ritual practices.
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This story was covered in Restitution Returns, Museums Face the Axe