Unusual 2,700-year-old figurine found in the Aegean Sea - video

Archaeologists working off the coast of Turkey have discovered an extremely valuable artefact. During their research at the bottom of the Aegean Sea, they managed to come across a 2,700-year-old figurine. The terracotta artefact depicts an ancient goddess and, according to the local press, is the largest find of its kind made by Turkish archaeologists.

The object measures 60 centimetres and was found at a depth of 43 metres below the water surface. Archaeological work in the area is being carried out by researchers from Turkey’s Dokuz Eylül University, who are exploring a wreck discovered in November 2016. The unusual find was buried deep under a layer of sand.

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[blockquote style=”2″]”After cleaning some of the sand, we saw a part of the sculpture, specifically the toes. It was a very exciting moment! We slowly worked revealing meticulously more parts of the lower body. We have knowledge that this type of statue consisted of two parts, so we hope to find the missing fragment nearby,” archaeologists report[/blockquote].

Archaeologists discovered only the lower half of the statue. However, they hope that during the next works conducted in the future (the next stage of works is planned for 2017), the missing half will be found. On the basis of the collected material, the researchers put forward a hypothesis that the statue represents a Cypriot goddess.

[blockquote style=”2″]”This is the first time we have found such a large terracotta object off the coast of our country. We assume that the rest of the statue is also found in the area we investigated. According to our assessment, the whole thing should measure about 120 cm. The figurine represents a barefoot figure in a long dress. Preliminary assessments allow us to believe that both the wreck and the statue itself date from the 7th century BC. ” – said research leader Prof. A. Harun Özdaş[/blockquote].

Apart from the described statuette, archaeologists also found many other objects. Among them ceramic vessels or amphorae. An area of 300 m² has been excavated and the results, according to the scientists, will shed new light on a very important period in the history of the Mediterranean. According to the scientists themselves, their research confirms that not only goods, but also philosophical thoughts and scientific knowledge were exchanged in the region.

Conservation work on the excavated artefacts is currently being carried out at the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum laboratory.

Source: dailysabah.com, hurriyetdailynews.com