8 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Beautiful’ Water-Nymph statue turns out to be Aphrodite

The statue of a nymph (water fairy) discovered last month during excavations in the Ancient City of Amastris was identified as a statue of Aphrodite.

The statue was examined in detail by academics and experts from Bartın University and the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Experts closely examined approximately 20 examples of Aphrodite statues found in Türkiye and determined that the statue had the characteristics of both a nymph and Aphrodite. Further examinations revealed that the statue was Aphrodite.

While investigations into the statue, which resembles both Aphrodite and a nymph, continue, the statue was placed on display at the Amasra Museum in a ceremony.

Amasra’s coast was host to the Phoenician colony, Sesamus, in the 12th century B.C. The colony’s heyday was during the rule of Iranian Princess Amastris. It was among the most important of the Byzantine fortress harbors on the south shore of the Black Sea.

The statue was discovered at a depth of approximately 3.70 meters while drilling to determine the ground in an ancient city’s Gymnasium structure. The 1.53-meter-tall nymph statue is thought to date from the second century A.D.

Speaking about the statue, Amasra Museum Deputy Director Güray Can Aytekin said, “Our aim was to reach the floor of the Gymnasium structure, and we found the statue, approximately 4 meters underground. Then removed it as a whole. We introduced it as a water fairy because the area where we found it was an area that we considered as a pool. But examinations revealed that it was more like an Aphrodite.”

Speaking about the features of the statue, Aytekin said, “We see examples of this statue in the 4th century B.C. as there were S-curve works made during this classical period. The posture of this statue is also in the S position. We see this example especially in Praxiteles’ School. We know that this form was further shaped during the later Hellenistic period, and its copies were made in the Roman period, too. We estimate that our statue is from the Roman period. It is possible to date it to the Roman period between 180 and 200 A.D., that is, in the last quarter of the second century.”

Aytekin also pointed out the importance of the statue for the museum and the region, saying, “The statue is also important for our museum in this respect. To date, there have not been many scientific excavations in the history of the museum. The museum is home to the artifacts recovered from the surface and foundation excavations in and around Amasya. This work is very important for the city and museum in terms of its layer, its location and its appearance as a whole. At the same time, it is a work that will contribute to the literature. The region is already on the UNESCO Tentative List with its castle structure. And thanks to this statue, we will announce to the world the fact that it was an important port city in the Roman period.”

The site of the excavation was donated to the Ministry of National Education in 2014 and construction started for the building of a school on the land in 2017 when some remains believed to belong to the Roman period were discovered, upon which the construction works were stopped and the area was taken under protection.

Cover Photo: Bartın Halk Gazetesi

Related Articles

Turkey Adds New Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

30 April 2021

30 April 2021

Two additional cultural objects have been added to Turkey’s World Heritage Tentative List, bringing the total number of cultural assets...

Serbian Archaeologists Unearth Roman Triumphal Arch Dedicated to Emperor Caracalla

24 January 2024

24 January 2024

Archaeologists in Serbia have unearthed an ancient Roman triumphal arch dating back to the third century at Viminacium, a Roman...

Roman mosaic found under the pavement in the narrow streets of Hvar

13 February 2022

13 February 2022

In the Old Town on the Adriatic island of Hvar, Croatia, a Roman mosaic was unearthed beneath a narrow street....

2,300 years old amazing preserved looks almost new Celtic scissors discovered in Germany

30 April 2023

30 April 2023

During a construction project in Munich’s Sendling district, Celtic cremation tombs were discovered. The quality of preservation of the grave...

Thousand-year-old bone skate discovered in Czech Republic

20 March 2024

20 March 2024

Archaeologists from the central Moravian city of Přerov, Czech Republic have announced a unique discovery. While carrying out excavations in...

Human Presence in Malta Earlier Than Previously Thought: Hunter-Gatherers Navigated 100 km by Sea 1,000 Years Before Farmers

14 April 2025

14 April 2025

Recent archaeological findings have dramatically reshaped our understanding of human history in the Mediterranean, revealing that hunter-gatherers were capable of...

Viking Ship Burials Shrouded in Mystery on Danish Island

25 May 2021

25 May 2021

Archaeologists studying the origins and makeup of the Kalvestene burial field, a famed place in Scandinavian legend, have undertaken new...

Archaeologists uncovered a ‘golden tomb’ during excavations in Armenia

26 March 2023

26 March 2023

A team of archaeologists made up of Polish and Armenian scientists has discovered a “golden tomb” containing two skeletons in...

Archaeologists unearth first archaeological evidence about Anatolia’s mysterious Kaska community, sworn enemies of the Hittites

16 January 2025

16 January 2025

In the course of the excavations conducted by Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University‘s Department of Archaeology, artifacts from the Late Bronze...

15 new sculptures discovered in Turkey’s sculpture paradise Yesemek

8 December 2021

8 December 2021

Archaeologists discovered 15 new sculptures during recent digs around the Yesemek Open Air Museum and Sculpture Workshop in the Islahiye...

Falaj al Misfah: Working for a thousand years

26 September 2021

26 September 2021

The village of Al Misfah Abriyeen is known for its lush oasis, magnificent orchards, and year-round water source, the ‘aflaj.’...

DNA from human remains found in medieval well shines new light into a significant historical crime and into Ashkenazi Jewish history

30 November 2022

30 November 2022

An analysis of DNA from 12th-century human remains has provided new insights into a significant historical crime and into Ashkenazi...

The Americas’ oldest known bead discovered near Douglas, Wyoming

9 March 2024

9 March 2024

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest known bead in the Americas at the La Prele Mammoth site in Converse County, United...

Artvin Demirkapı/Arılı rock paintings give information about Anatolian Bronze Age Nomadic

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

Rock paintings are material cultural assets that provide us with unique information about the socio-cultural structure, religious beliefs, and rituals,...

Medieval Mummy Seized in Niğde, Türkiye, Amidst Smuggling Crackdown

12 March 2025

12 March 2025

Authorities in Türkiye have detained six individuals in the Bor district of Niğde, who were allegedly attempting to sell an...