Monumental statue reused as pavers found in Turkey

A monumental marble statue broken in two pieces has been discovered embedded in a later Roman pavement at Sardis in western Turkey. At 7’3″ high, the sculpture is larger-than-life sized and in an excellent state of preservation despite its advanced age and having been recycled. Archaeologists estimate it dates to between 470 and 450 B.C.

The two halves of the statue were unearthed at an entry gate to Sardis from the Roman period. They had been placed face down so that the smooth back would be effective paving stones in the colonnaded street leading into town. That had the unintended but felicitous consequence of preserving the fine carving of the face, hair and clothing.

It is thickly coated in a hard layer of mineral deposits from its centuries as a paving stone. Conservators will clean it with meticulous care to ensure no possible traces of polychromy that may survive under the coating is damaged. They will also analyze soil samples collected from the find site for potential traces of paint.

The figure depicts a young man with long hair flowing down the shoulders with a wavy band around the forehead that curves over his ears. He wears a heavy himation (mantle) over a thin chiton (a tunic that fastens at the shoulders). A third garment with horizontal stripes is underneath the chiton and himation. In his right hand he holds a fruit, perhaps a quince, extended in offering to the deities.

These features are from the Lydian culture, which makes this statue different from other examples from the same period found in Anatolia and Greece.

The sculpture dates to a period when Sardis served as the satrapal capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s western province. A satrap was a provincial governor, while a satrapal capital functioned as an administrative center.

The statue brings together the classical artistic style developing around the Aegean with Lydian clothing traditions and visual expression. Its size and state of preservation make it a rare example among early monumental sculptures found across the Mediterranean.

Researchers expect the work to provide further information about the beliefs, daily life and culture of Sardis’ elite during the early fifth century B.C.

* This article was originally published here