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Archaeologists Stunned to Find Statue Heads of the ‘Goddess of Beauty’ and the ‘Deity of Wine’ in Turkey

Statue heads of dieties found in Türkiye indicate that even after Roman occupation, the polytheistic Greek culture survived in the area.

BY SOMDATTA MAITY

PUBLISHED 4 DAYS AGO

Statue of Aphrodite with a portrait head of a Roman woman (Representative Cover Image Source: Wikimedia Commons | Photo by Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden)

Religious faith reflects a lot about a community's identity. Archaeologists try to trace artifacts associated with religion to gain more insights into a population's history. In 2023, researchers announced that excavation in central Türkiye revealed objects that were a prominent part of traditions followed in past settlements in the area, stated Daily Sabah.

Marble statue of Aphrodite, the so-called Venus Genetrix, adaptation of work attributed to Kallimachos, Roman (MET, 32.11.3) (Representative Image Source: Wikimedia Commons/Photo by Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Marble statue of Aphrodite, the so-called Venus Genetrix (Representative Image Source: Wikimedia Commons | Photo by Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Archaeologists were amazed to spot heads of statues depicting ancient Greek deities in the western province of Kütahya. The discovery took place in Aizanoi, which is situated 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from the Kütahya city center. In total five statue heads have been uncovered from the site, of which two have been determined to be of Aphrodite and three of Dionysus.

Türkiye as a whole has been a site of several Greek and Roman-era settlements. Aizanoi specifically has been recognized to have a rich history spanning around 5,000 years. During the Hellenistic period, the region shifted back and forth between being a subordinate of Pergamum and Bithynia. The area came under the rule of Romans in 133 B.C. The site was first discovered in 1824, and the German Archaeological Institute worked there through 1926, stated Art News. Turkish archeologists have been excavating in the city for a decade now.

Since 2012, Aizanoi has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, because of the historical heritage it contains. The city has already gained a prominent place in the hearts of archaeology enthusiasts because it is home to the best-preserved Temple of Zeus in Anatolia, stated Daily Sabah. Although many items have been excavated from the city by this team, the statue heads have been considered the most noteworthy. "The most exciting development for us this season is uncovering new heads of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, and the deity of wine Dionysus," said Archaeology professor and excavation team leader, Gökhan Coşkun.

The statue heads were present in a creek bed, making experts speculate that there could have been a sculpture workshop at the place, stated Art News. The evidence showing the presence of two deities in the ancient culture of the area reflects "that the polytheistic culture of ancient Greece existed for a long time without losing its importance in the Roman era," according to Coskun. This is not the first time a diety's statue has been found in the city. In August 2021, archaeologists found a statue of Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health and cleanliness, from Aizanoi.

Head of a statue of Aphrodite of the Medici type. (Representative Image Source: Wikimedia Commons/Photo by
Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Head of a statue of Aphrodite of the Medici type. (Representative Image Source: Wikimedia Commons | Photo by Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Aphrodite and Dionysus artifacts were spotted three years ago, stated Daily Sabah. "These statue heads, which we first discovered three years ago, are in very well-preserved condition. During our excavations, so far we have discovered two Aphrodite and three Dionysus statue heads," he added. Excavation work has been going on in the area for many years and experts have uncovered multiple statue pieces from the area. "In the excavation works we have conducted in the region so far, we have unearthed more than 100 statue pieces. Some of the heads found are from statues that are 2-3 meters long," Coşkun noted.