28 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

In Turkey’s western Uşak province, 2,000-year-old statues have been unearthed

During the excavations in the ancient city of Blaundos in the Ulubey district of Uşak, two statues of 2000 years old, which are considered to belong to the Roman Period, were unearthed from the courtyard of the Temple of Demeter.

Blaundus Ancient City which is located on the top of a hill looks like a peninsula surrounded by three-stream beds and it is 40 km away from Uşak. The city which it is close to the border of  Phrygia In the Lydia Region was built in the Hellenistic period (B.C. III. C.) by Macedonians after Alexander the Great’s military expedition to Anatolia. Then, it was occupied with the Kingdom of Pergamum and the Roman Empire. The place which was a military city during the period of the Pergamum Kingdom maintained its strategic importance in the Roman and Byzantine periods as well.

Excavations have been carried out by the Uşak Museum and Archeological Department of Uşak University since 2018 in Ancient city Blaundus. Digging work to unearth the city, is currently focused on the area where a temple dedicated to the Greek mythological goddess Demeter is located.

It was determined that one of the excavated statues was 185 centimeters tall and had no head, while the other was missing its head, right arm, and both legs.
It was determined that one of the excavated statues was 185 centimeters tall and had no head, while the other was missing its head, right arm, and both legs. Photo: Mehmet Çalık – AA

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Birol Can, a faculty member of the Archeology Department of Uşak University, said the team has found two statues in the courtyard of the temple located in the center of the city.

Can, who is leading the excavation, said one of the discovered statues was 185 centimeters (6 feet) tall with no head, while the other was missing its head, right arm, and both legs.

“We don’t know yet whether the statues are from the temple site or from street-side honorifics,” he said, adding that further research on the discovery was ongoing.

2,000-year-old statues unearthed in Turkey's western Uşak province

“Both finds are male marble statues. We have not yet determined who they are – whether they are gods, emperors, or statesmen,” Can said.

Noting that the statues may have been inspired and created in the Roman-era style, he said: “We can say that the art of sculpture has been at its peak since the second half of the fourth century B.C.”

The statues were taken to the Uşak Archaeological Museum after cleaning and examination studies.

Related Articles

Denmark King’s spice cabinet discovered on Gribshunden

13 February 2023

13 February 2023

The Gribshunden, a 15th-century Danish royal warship, was uncovered to have been loaded with botanical materials, including the first archaeological...

A protected Punic-Roman tower “Tal-Wilġa” has been turned into a building site

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

The Tal-Wilga tower, one of Malta’s Punic-Roman heritage sites, is in danger from construction work near it. The Superintendent of...

A collection of 430 burial objects found in the tomb of a 3000-year-old Noblewoman in China

11 April 2024

11 April 2024

A tomb belonging to a noblewoman dating back about 3,000 years has been unearthed in North China’s Shanxi Province. The...

A 2900-year-old collection of fossilized shark teeth found in the City of David, one of Jerusalem’s oldest Parts

5 July 2021

5 July 2021

Scientists discovered an inexplicable collection of fossilized shark teeth at a 2900-year-old archaeological site in Jerusalem’s City of David, one...

Statue Head of Goddess Tyche Discovered in Bulgaria

8 December 2024

8 December 2024

A remarkably crafted head of a large statue of the Greek goddess Tyche was recently unearthed during the excavations of...

Trian Fountain to Be Revived After 1900 Years

17 April 2021

17 April 2021

The Trian fountain in the ancient city of Laodikeia in Denizli will be revived after 1900 years. CHP’s Merkezefendi Municipality...

Treasure Hunter Claims to Find First Council of Nicaea’s Location, Demands $50 Million for Discovery

26 April 2025

26 April 2025

In a startling revelation, Mustafa Uysal, a treasure hunter from Bursa, has claimed to have unearthed an underground city in...

Tombs rich in artifacts discovered by Swedish archaeologists in Cyprus

7 July 2023

7 July 2023

A Swedish archaeological expedition made the extraordinary discovery of tombs outside the Bronze Age trading metropolis of Hala Sultan Tekke...

The best-preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy can be seen in Jerash the ancient city of Jordan’s

2 December 2021

2 December 2021

Jerash is a magnificent old Roman city located around 50 kilometers from Amman, Jordan. Jerash is considered the most well-preserved...

9 Synagogues in Izmir to Reopen as Museum

26 March 2022

26 March 2022

As part of a Jewish heritage project in Izmir, Turkey, nine historic synagogues will be reopened as museums. Built by...

Archaeologists find an Anglo-Saxon church at Stoke Mandeville excavation site

13 September 2021

13 September 2021

Archaeologists working on the HS2 project found the remains of an Anglo-Saxon church during their excavations at the former St...

Neo-Assyrian underground complex discovered under a house in southeastern Turkey

11 May 2022

11 May 2022

An underground Iron Age complex has been found in Turkey that may have been used by a fertility cult during...

A New Picene Prince Tomb Dating to the 7th Century BC with Two Chariots Discovered in Corinaldo, Italy

29 July 2024

29 July 2024

Following the discovery of the so-called ‘Prince of Corinaldo’ in 2018, archaeologists from the University of Bologna have discovered a...

From Bronze Age to Buddhism: Xinjiang’s Archaeological Journey Through Time and Recent Discoveries

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

Recent archaeological investigations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have significantly enhanced our understanding of the area’s historical context and...

The Colossal Nordic Bronze Age Hall Unearthed in Germany May Be the Legendary King Hinz Meeting Hall

5 November 2023

5 November 2023 1

A colossal hall from the Bronze Age was discovered during excavations near the “royal grave” of Seddin (Prignitz district) northwest...