Lost Roman masterpieces discovered buried beneath ancient vineyard complex
The intact 1,700-year-old busts may have decorated an elite home or public building, and one preserves a Greek inscription naming Lycurgus.
- On Monday, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of two 1,700-year-old marble statues in Binyamina. The rare protomes, depicting Greco-Roman figures, were unearthed during a national infrastructure project to expand coastal rail lines.
- Excavation directors Eliran Oren and Avishag Reiss found the statues face down within a Roman-Byzantine winepress pit. Experts suggest they were hidden for safekeeping long after the winepress went out of use.
- Each statue weighs about 60 kilograms and stands 55 centimeters tall. One protome bears a Greek inscription of the name 'Lycurgus,' potentially depicting either the Spartan founder or a 4th-century BCE statesman from Athens.
- The Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv will display the statues throughout the summer. MUZA Director-General Gil Omer noted the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to connect with this 'extraordinary discovery' shortly after its discovery.
- Researchers suspect the statues originally adorned a luxurious villa near Caesarea, approximately 10 kilometers from the site. Archaeologist Dr. Peter Gendelman explained that such portraits allowed elite patrons to associate themselves with antiquity's cultural world.
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Ancient Marble Busts With Greek Inscription Found in Israel
Two 1,700-year-old marble busts discovered near Binyamina in Israel. Credit: Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered two remarkably well-preserved marble busts with a Greek inscription dating back about 1,700 years near Binyamina, shedding new light on life during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The marble busts, known as protomes, depict figures from the Greco-Roman world. They were discovered buried…
Lost Roman masterpieces discovered buried beneath ancient vineyard complex
Archaeologists have uncovered two remarkably well-preserved Roman marble statues dating back approximately 1,700 years during excavations near Binyamina in northern Israel. The sculptures, depicting prominent figures from the Greco-Roman world, were discovered buried inside a wine collection vat associated with a Roman-Byzantine winepress. One of the statues bears a Greek inscription naming “Lycurgus”, a figure whose identity is now the focus of…
Two Roman-era statues unearthed during infrastructure dig for Israel Railways near Haifa
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” added Oren and Reiss. “It was very unexpected, but somehow, the really big discoveries always turn up on the excavation’s very last day.”
1,700-year-old bust found in Israel may depict legendary founder of Sparta
The rare marble statues were found face down in a Roman-Byzantine winepress near Binyamina during railway works; archaeologists say they may have decorated an elite villa linked to ancient Caesarea
‘Once-in-a-lifetime find’: Intact Roman statues unearthed in Israeli excavation
Each statue weighs about 60 kilograms and is 55 centimeters tall. By TPS Two intact marble busts dating back roughly 1,700 years have been uncovered in what Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists described as a rare and unexpected discovery from the Roman period. The statues, known as protomes, show a human bearded head and upper torso and appear to depict historical figures from the Greco-Roman world. One of them bears a Greek inscription …
1700 Year Old Grecian Statues Found In Binyamina Ancient Wine Press
JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An extraordinary archaeological discovery has been uncovered near Binyamina, where two marble statues of approximately 1,700 years old, depicting historical figures from the Greco-Roman world, were found inside a wine collection pit belonging to a Roman-Byzantine-era winepress. The excavation is being conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority as part of a project […]
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