A marble statue of a woman believed to be more than 2,000 years old was found abandoned in a rubbish bag near… Greek city Police in Thessaloniki said on Wednesday.
The 80cm (31in) headless statue was discovered by a resident next to a rubbish bin in Nioi Epifats, outside Greece's second-largest city. The man handed it over to local authorities, who contacted archaeologists to assess its significance.
Police said that experts, after a preliminary assessment, determined that the object dates back to the Hellenistic era, a period between approximately 320 and 30 BC, which was marked by the flourishing of art and culture in the wake of the conquests of Greece. Alexander the Great.
This undated photo provided by Greek police and released on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, shows a marble statue of a woman believed to be more than 2,000 years old that was found abandoned in a garbage bag in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece. . (Greek Police via AP)
The statue has been sent for further examination by archaeologists. It will eventually be handed over to the local antiquities authority for preservation and study.
The police opened an investigation to determine who disposed of the statue, briefly detained a man for questioning, and later released him without charges.
Accidental archaeological finds are relatively common in Greece, a country famous for its ancient heritage, and often take place during the construction of buildings or public works. In December, workers installing natural gas pipelines were discovered near Athens Statue of Hermes from the Roman era He was buried upright in a brick-lined pit near the Acropolis.
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The city of Thessaloniki weeks ago unveiled a collection of antiquities found during the decades-long construction of the metro system, which officially opened in November. Major finds, including a Roman road paved with marble and tens of thousands of artefacts dating back to the Greek, Byzantine and Ottoman eras, are now on display in subway stations.
