Turkey: 3rd-century statue unearthed in the ancient city

Archeologists have unearthed a 1,700-year-old statue of a female from the Hellenistic period in the ancient city of Perge, now in Turkey’s Mediterranean Antalya province.

ANTALYA, TURKEY—The Anadolu Agency reports that a third-century A.D. sculpture of a woman has been unearthed at the ancient Greek city of Perge on the southwest coast of modern-day Turkey.

A team led by Istanbul University archaeologist Sedef Cokay Kepce also discovered the broken head that belongs to the figure, which is depicted in full-length robes. 

Believed to have been made around the year 300 AD, during the time of the Roman Empire, the exquisite piece of sculpture portrays a woman in floor-length robes. Her head has been broken off but it survives.

The ancient city was known to have had females in its administration. It is unknown,  however, at this point, just who is depicted in the sculpture.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s excavation department triumphantly announced the amazing find yesterday, stating “First sculpture of 2020 found in Perge excavations,” in a tweet.

According to the Ministry, Sedef Cokay Kepçe, an archaeology professor at Istanbul University, is heading up the excavations which unearthed the stunning find.

The plans are currently to display the third-century statue in the Antalya Museum when all the necessary cleaning on the piece has been completed. The area has always been known for its wealth of sculpture, according to UNESCO.

The ancient Greek city of Perge has been the site of systematic excavations beginning in 1946; the area was included on UNESCO’s Tentative Heritage list in 2009 for its great historical significance.