Ancient marble statues from Roman era discovered buried intentionally in Israeli winepress
Excavation teams working on a railway construction project in Binyamina, Israel, unearthed two remarkably preserved marble statues dating back approximately 1,700 years. The discovery occurred in mid-June when archaeologists found the ancient sculptures carefully placed face-down inside a wine collection pit of a Roman-Byzantine winepress. The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the find on June 15, describing it as an extraordinary glimpse into the Greco-Roman world.
The statues depict two unidentified figures from antiquity, with one bearing a Greek inscription containing the name “Lycurgus.” Researchers are now working to determine which historical Lycurgus the statue represents, as two prominent figures shared this name in ancient times. The deliberate positioning and careful burial of these sculptures suggest they were hidden intentionally, though the exact reasons remain under investigation.
Workers stumble upon marble during routine excavation
Michael Sorotskin, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority who participated in the excavation, described the moment of discovery as “simply wondrous.” Workers digging at the winepress site noticed something protruding from the ground and immediately contacted the archaeological team. Sorotskin rushed to the location, sensing something unusual was about to emerge.
“There was a feeling that we were about to discover something that really shouldn’t be there,” Sorotskin stated. Initially, the team expected to find typical pottery fragments common at such sites. However, as they carefully cleared away the soil, they realized the material was marble. The two statues emerged slowly from the earth, leaving the experienced archaeologist struggling to find adequate words to describe the moment.
Statues were deliberately placed face-down in ancient pit
Eliran Oren and Avishag Reiss, who directed the excavation project for the coastal high-speed railway construction, noted that both statues were found “neatly laid, face down” in the wine collection pit. The positioning appears intentional rather than accidental, suggesting someone carefully placed them there when the winepress ceased operations. The excavation directors offered several theories about this unusual burial practice.
- The statues may have been hidden to protect them from destruction during religious or political upheaval.
- Owners might have preserved them for future retrieval that never occurred.
- The placement could relate to changing cultural attitudes toward Greco-Roman imagery.
- Economic changes in the region may have prompted owners to conceal valuable possessions.
“At present, it is not known why the statues were hidden here – perhaps to preserve them,” Oren and Reiss explained in a joint statement. The directors characterized the discovery as a “once-in-a-lifetime” finding, noting that major archaeological breakthroughs often occur unexpectedly on the final day of excavation work.
Lycurgus inscription points to historical figures from Sparta or Athens
Peter Gendelman, a regional expert from the Israel Antiquities Authority specializing in Caesarea, emphasized the significance of the discovery. He noted this represents the first find of its kind in roughly three decades. The Greek inscription mentioning “Lycurgus” presents researchers with an intriguing puzzle, as two famous historical figures bore this name in the ancient world.
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One Lycurgus was a legendary lawgiver of Sparta who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society. The other was Lycurgus of Athens, an orator and statesman who managed Athenian finances and oversaw building projects in the fourth century BCE. Gendelman acknowledged that determining which figure the statue represents requires extensive research that has only just begun. The marble sculptures likely adorned public buildings or the homes of wealthy residents during the Roman period.
“Such statues allowed owners to connect themselves to the cultural and spiritual world of antiquity,” Gendelman explained. The expert noted that remains of a bathhouse were previously discovered near the excavation site, suggesting the statues may have decorated a luxurious villa belonging to a Caesarea resident. This would align with the practice among wealthy Romans of displaying Greek-inspired artwork to demonstrate cultural sophistication and education.
Conservation work precedes detailed analysis of marble sculptures
The Israel Antiquities Authority has initiated a comprehensive conservation process for both statues before conducting detailed analytical studies. Researchers are carefully cleaning the marble surfaces to remove centuries of accumulated soil and mineral deposits. This meticulous work must proceed slowly to avoid damaging the delicate carvings and inscriptions that could provide crucial information about the statues’ origins and purpose.
Once conservation is complete, specialists will examine the marble composition to determine where the stone was quarried. They will also analyze the carving techniques to help date the sculptures more precisely and potentially identify the workshop or region where they were created. The team hopes these investigations will definitively reveal which historical or mythological figures the statues depict.
This discovery adds to a notable series of archaeological finds announced by Israeli researchers throughout 2026. Earlier in May, authorities reported that a child’s chance discovery in the Negev Desert led to the identification of a 1,700-year-old Roman-era statuette fragment. Around the same time, excavation teams uncovered an ancient tunnel near Jerusalem, in proximity to sites associated with the biblical Kingdom of Judah. These consecutive discoveries highlight the region’s extraordinary archaeological richness and the ongoing revelations about its ancient past.
