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 ongoing research.
The discovery was made during an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) ahead of major railway infrastructure works linked to the expansion of Israel’s coastal rail line. The project forms part of a wider initiative by the Ministry of Transportation and Israel Railways to develop high-speed rail services capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 km/h.
According to excavation directors Eliran Oren and Avisag Reis of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the statues were found in an unexpected context.
“The statues date to the Roman period, but they were not discovered in their original location,” the archaeologists said. “They were carefully laid face down inside a wine collection pit after the winepress had gone out of use. At present, we do not know why they were hidden there, although it is possible they were deliberately concealed for protection.”
The sculptures are examples of protomes—sculptures depicting the upper portion of the human body—and represent an exceptionally rare find in the region.
Michael Sorotskin, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority who was present during the excavation, described the moment of discovery.
“During the excavation, workers noticed something protruding from the ground and called me over,” he said. “There was an immediate feeling that we had found something unusual. As the excavation progressed, it became clear that it was not pottery but marble. Slowly, the two statues emerged. It was an extraordinary moment.”
Researchers believe the sculptures may once have adorned a luxurious villa belonging to one of Caesarea’s wealthy residents. Previous excavations nearby uncovered the remains of a Roman bathhouse, suggesting the area may have formed part of an affluent suburban estate associated with the ancient port city.
According to Dr Peter Gendelman, an expert on the Caesarea region for the Israel Antiquities Authority, the statues join a small group of similar portrait sculptures discovered in the area over recent decades.
“The last comparable discovery in Caesarea occurred during the 1990s,” Gendelman explained. “One of the newly discovered sculptures preserves a Greek inscription bearing the name Lycurgus. Two notable historical figures carried this name: Lycurgus, the legendary lawgiver of Sparta, and Lycurgus of Athens, a prominent statesman and orator of the fourth century BC. It is too early to determine which individual is represented.”
In public buildings, baths and elite homes, portrait sculptures of celebrated figures from Greek history were in common use in the Roman Empire, representative of the cultural aspirations and education of their owners.
The statues are now undergoing cleaning, conservation and detailed study in Israel Antiquities Authority laboratories. The researchers hope a deeper understanding of the individuals depicted will help to better determine where the sculptures were originally placed and more about their context.
The discovery will be presented publicly for the first time at the archaeological conference at the Centre VII – House, which will take place on 18 June at the Moza – Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. After the conference the sculptures will be exhibited to the public for the rest of the summer.
And officials have said the discovery is among the biggest archaeological discoveries in the region in recent years.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” said excavation directors Oren and Reis. “The most remarkable finds often appear when you least expect them—and in this case, they emerged on the final day of excavation.”
Header Image Credit : Shatil Immanuelov, Eliran Oren
Sources : IAA
