Statue head of Hygieia discovered in the Ancient City of Laodicea

Excavations in Laodicea, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and is Turkey's second-largest ancient city after Ephesus, have been ongoing since 2003 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Celal Şimşek from Pamukkale University.

In Laodicea, which hosts findings that excite the world of archaeology and whose history dates back to 5500 BC, many historical artifacts buried underground have been brought to light during excavations carried out 12 months a year.

Most recently, the statue head of Hygieia, known as the goddess of health and cleanliness in Greek and Roman mythology, was unearthed in the Ancient City of Laodicea.

Numerous statue fragments dating back 2,100 years were found during excavations at the stage building of the Western Theater in the ancient city. The discovery of the statue head belonging to Hygieia, the goddess of health and cleanliness, among these statues revealed that Laodicea, known as a trade city, was also an advanced city in the field of health.

'VERY SPECIAL IN TERMS OF STYLE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP'

Stating that the discovered statue has a special place in terms of style and craftsmanship, Pamukkale University Archaeology and Laodicea Excavation Committee Head Prof. Dr. Celal Şimşek said, "We found the head of the statue of the health goddess Hygieia in the northern parodos passage. When we evaluate the statues here in general, they are dated to the Late Hellenistic and early Augustan periods. These statues, which date back 2,100 years, have a special place in terms of style and craftsmanship. We were very excited when we found the head of the health goddess, which is much larger than normal dimensions, here."

News Source: İHA