Bulgarian archaeologists made an unexpected discovery this week while excavating an ancient Roman sewer: a well-preserved marble statue of the Greek god Hermes.
According to ntd.com, the 6.8-foot-tall statue was unearthed at the site of the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica in southwestern Bulgaria, near the Greek border. Archaeologists believe that the statue was carefully placed in the sewers and covered with soil following an earthquake that devastated the city around A.D. 388, which explains its excellent condition.
Heraclea Sintica was founded by Philip II of Macedon between 356 B.C. and 339 B.C. in what is now the Bulgarian region of Pirin Macedonia. Despite the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire, the residents of Heraclea Sintica likely attempted to preserve the statue.
“Its head is preserved. (It’s in a) very good condition. There are a few fractures on the hands,” said Lyudmil Vagalinski, who led the team of archaeologists, adding that the statue was a Roman copy of an ancient Greek original.
Heraclea Sintica fell into rapid decline after the earthquake and was abandoned by around A.D. 500.
“Everything pagan was forbidden, and they have joined the new ideology, but apparently they took care of their old deities,” Vagalinski said.
Source: ntd.com
