A stunning stone head, likely to belong to a Roman deity or philosopher, has been discovered during excavations at the 5th-century Christian Basilica of Santo Stefano, within Rome’s Tombe di Via Latina archaeological park. The carved marble fragment, larger than life, is complete with a carefully carved beard and solemn facial expression, and was discovered embedded in the basilica’s foundations, suggesting it had been reused in medieval construction.

A carved statue head unearthed beneath a 5th-century church in Rome. Credit: Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica / CC BY-ND 3.0

The archaeologists first saw flowing marble locks breaking through the earth before a complete profile of the head emerged. Even after centuries of burial and thick encrustations of mortar, the fine details in the hair and beard remained astonishingly preserved.

While thick mortar covers parts of the face of the sculpture, preliminary research indicates the sculpture dates to circa the 2nd century CE. The head may be that of a Roman god such as Jupiter or Serapis, or even a philosopher. Though its initial idenтιтy is unknown, its reuse in a Christian context provides us with significant information regarding the complex cultural interplay of Late Antique Rome—a period of the 4th to 6th centuries CE, marked by the gradual shift from paganism to Christianity.

The statue has been transferred to Matera, a city that is firmly dedicated to preserving culture and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was then placed into the care of the Isтιтuto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR), where it is now undergoing restoration. The project also involves students from the Scuola di Alta Formazione per il Restauro, who are ᴀssisting in meticulous documentation, technical examination, and diagnostic studies.

Detail of the statue head. Credit: Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica / CC BY-ND 3.0

Experts at the ICR hope to not only restore the physical integrity of the piece but also determine its original function and historic context. They are exploring whether the head originally belonged to a monumental statue or had a religious function before it was buried within the basilica walls. Careful removal of mortar might still uncover inscriptions or symbols that could give additional leads.

The reuse of pagan statues in Christian buildings was not uncommon in Late Antiquity, but each one is a special case. This particular find contributes to efforts to grasp how Roman society changed from its imperial, polytheistic origins to a Christianized world.

More information: Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica