24 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Greek Warrior Relief Found in Bulgaria

In Sozopol, on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, a piece of terracotta relief depicting ancient Greek warriors has been discovered.

The newly discovered slab with ancient Greek warriors, or hoplites, looks like a piece of a larger representation, other parts of which were discovered during excavations in 2018 and 2019 in the area of ​​the two temples of the deity Apollo Iatros (“The Healer “). – one from the Late Archaic period and one from the Early Classic period of Ancient Greece – on the island of Saint Cyricus in Sozopol of Bulgaria.

The island of St. Cyricus, more precisely named Sts. The islands of Quiricus and Julietta have rich archaeological structures from the dawn of the settlement of Sozopol, which emerged from the ancient Greek colony Apollonia Pontica on the western Black Sea coast in the 6th century BC.

The newsly discovered slab fragment from ca. 500 BC with marching hoplites, the Ancient Greek citizen warriors who formed the dreadful phalanx formation, from the sacred zone with two Apollo temples on the St. Cyricus Island in Bulgaria’s Black Sea town of Sozopol. Photo: National Institute and Museum of Archaeology
The newsly discovered slab fragment from ca. 500 BC with marching hoplites, the Ancient Greek citizen warriors who formed the dreadful phalanx formation, from the sacred zone with two Apollo temples on the St. Cyricus Island in Bulgaria’s Black Sea town of Sozopol. Photo: National Institute and Museum of Archaeology

The fragment is from around 500 BC. and includes two hoplites in the march. They both wear Corinthian-style helmets and armor. The one on the left (the more intact figure) holds a spear in his right hand and a shield on his back. With her left hand, she holds the horn to her mouth. It is a fragment of a larger frieze that once adorned the temple of Apollo.

A sketch showing the likely full relief of Ancient Greek hoplite warriors from Sozopol, of which the newly discovered fragment is a part. Photo: Archaeologist Margarit Damyanov, 2020 Bulgarian Archaeology Exhibition poster
A sketch showing the likely full relief of Ancient Greek hoplite warriors from Sozopol, of which the newly discovered fragment is a part. Photo: Archaeologist Margarit Damyanov, 2020 Bulgarian Archaeology Exhibition poster

Other fragments of the terracotta frieze were discovered in 2018 and 2019. A total of 20 fragments have been discovered in recent excavations, all from the same site. Degrand’s excavations also found a fragment of the frieze that is now in the Louvre’s collection along with the rest of the excavated Degrand artifacts. The Louvre section appears to exactly match the newly discovered section, although it is much less worn.

Source: http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/

Related Articles

An 1800-year-old inscription was discovered in Hadrianaupolis indicating the existence of the Asclepius cult

5 September 2022

5 September 2022

An inscription pointing to the existence of the cult of Asclepius was found in the ancient city of Hadrianaupolis, which...

Archaeologists are deciphering Roman history along Dere Street, one of the oldest roadways in Britain

17 July 2021

17 July 2021

Final archaeological finds uncovered as part of a major road improvement in the north of England have shed new insight...

A Trove of ‘Exceptional’ stunningly preserved bronze statues found at an Ancient Thermal Spa in Tuscany, Italy

10 November 2022

10 November 2022

A group of Italian archaeologists made the discovery of 24 well-preserved bronze statues from an ancient thermal spring in Tuscany....

Roman-era marble sundial found for the first time in Turkey’s second Ephesus

26 September 2022

26 September 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman-era marble sundial in the ancient city of Aizanoi in the Çavdarhisar district of Kütahya province...

The ‘extraordinary’ Roman mosaic depicting scenes from Homer’s Iliad unearthed in a Rutland farmer’s field is the first of its kind in England

25 November 2021

25 November 2021

The 1,500-year-old mosaic discovered by a farmer was considered Britain’s “most exciting” Roman find. The artwork was discovered on private...

New mosaics unearthed in “Zeugma of the Black Sea”

3 October 2022

3 October 2022

New mosaics with various figures were unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, which is called...

İnteresting Relief on the Roman Millstone

20 February 2021

20 February 2021

During the Cambridgeshire A14 road improvement work, workers found an interesting millstone. A large penis was engraved in the Roman-era...

An extraordinary votive treasure was unearthed in the ancient Roman bath sanctuary of San Casciano Dei Bagni in Italy

7 August 2022

7 August 2022

In San Casciano Dei Bagni, a Tuscan hill town famous for its hot springs, 40 miles southeast of Siena, unique...

Discoveries on the island of Minorca shed light on the history of Roman conquests in the Balearic Islands

31 July 2021

31 July 2021

The University of Alicante Institute for Archeology and Historical Heritage (INAPH) Researchs discovered a collection of buried Roman antiquities going...

2,000-year-old Monumental Tomb of Roman Elite discovered in Apollon Smintheus sanctuary in Türkiye

2 January 2024

2 January 2024

A 2,000-year-old monumental tomb from the Roman era has been unearthed at the Apollon Smintheus Sanctuary in the village of...

1700-year-old weaving workshop discovered in southeast Turkey

4 December 2021

4 December 2021

Excavations carried out in the ancient city of Perre in the southeastern province of Adıyaman have unearthed a 1,700-year-old weaving...

Columns in Lagina Hecate Sanctuary Rise Again

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

Lagina Hecate Sanctuary is located in Yatağan district of Muğla. It is an important sacred area belonging to the Carians...

Roman camp of 10,000 people discovered in northern Portugal

2 July 2021

2 July 2021

A camp used by 10,000 Roman soldiers sent to conquer northwestern Iberia has been discovered in the Portuguese city of...

Archaeologists have found a fort that the Romans built to protect their silver mines, complete with wooden spikes

23 February 2023

23 February 2023

Archaeologists have discovered wooden defenses surrounding an ancient Roman military base for the first time in Bad Ems, western Germany....

Marble inlay floors found in a Sunken Roman villa in Baia, the Las Vegas of the ancient world

9 April 2023

9 April 2023

Expansion of research activities in the Terme del Lacus area in the sunken Baia park, known as the ‘Las Vegas’...