A significant archaeological discovery has been made in Israel, uncovering two ancient statues that date back around 1,700 years. The statues were found near Binyamina, Israel, during an excavation ahead of the construction of a coastal high-speed railway. Archaeologists stumbled upon the marble statues in the wine collection pit of a Roman-Byzantine winepress.
The statues depict two unknown figures from the ancient Greco-Roman world and one of them bears a Greek inscription with the name "Lycurgus." Officials are still trying to determine who these figures are and what their significance is. The discovery was described as "simply wondrous" by Michael Sorotskin, an archaeologist involved in the excavation.
The statues were found "neatly laid, face down" in the winepress, suggesting that they may have been intentionally buried when the winepress went out of use. Eliran Oren and Avishag Reiss, the excavation directors, said that it is not known why the statues were hidden here, but it is possible that they were preserved for their cultural and historical significance.
The discovery is significant not only because of its age but also because it is the first of its kind in roughly three decades. Peter Gendelman, a Caesarea region expert, noted that the statues were likely displayed in public buildings or the homes of wealthy residents during the Roman period as a way to connect themselves to the cultural and spiritual world of antiquity.
Researchers are currently cleaning and conserving the statues before analyzing them further to determine exactly whom they depict. The discovery is the latest in a series of notable archaeological finds made by Israeli researchers this year, including a 1,700-year-old Roman-era statuette fragment and a mysterious ancient tunnel near Jerusalem.
