29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Recent Excavations Unveil Five Remarkable Statues, Shedding Light on Perge’s Roman Heritage

During the excavations in the ancient city of Perge in Antalya, one of the most organized Roman cities of Anatolia, five different statues were unearthed.

Perge is an ancient city located in the Antalya province of modern-day Turkey, approximately 15 kilometers east of the city of Antalya. Founded in the Hellenistic period, around the 3rd century BC, Perge became an important center of commerce and culture in the region. The city was initially settled by the Pamphylian people and later came under Roman control in the 1st century BC. The ancient city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2009.

Recent excavations in the ancient city of Perge have unveiled remarkable statues that shed light on the region’s artistic heritage. Among the discoveries is a statue of Aphrodite, approximately 2 meters tall, depicted sitting on a dolphin alongside the god of love, Eros. Initial examinations suggest that this statue is a replica dating back to the 2nd century AD during the Roman Imperial Period.

Adjacent to the Aphrodite statue, another significant find is a 1.87-meter tall statue of a clothed woman standing upright. Preliminary assessments indicate that this statue exhibits characteristics from the Severan Period. Additionally, within the same area, another clothed female statue with similar features was discovered in two separate pieces.

Credit: Türkiye Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums
Credit: Türkiye Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums

During the excavation works on the Eastern Street of the city, a clothed female statue and a clothed male statue were found side by side, marking them as the other two notable artifacts. These discoveries provide new insights into Perge’s sculptural tradition and contribute to our understanding of the social structure and artistic production processes of the time.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Roman Imperial art, flourishing from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD, is characterized by its grand scale, realism, and a blend of influences from earlier Greek and Etruscan traditions. This period saw the emergence of monumental architecture, intricate sculptures, and detailed frescoes that celebrated the power and achievements of the Roman Empire. Artists focused on portraying human figures with a high degree of realism, often emphasizing individual features and expressions.

Credit: Türkiye Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums
Credit: Türkiye Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums

The ancient city of Perge, located in modern-day Türkiye, serves as a significant example of Roman Imperial art. Renowned for its well-preserved ruins, Perge showcases a rich artistic heritage that reflects the cultural and social dynamics of the time. The city is home to numerous sculptures, including depictions of gods, goddesses, and everyday life, which highlight the artistic techniques and styles prevalent during the Roman era. The recent discoveries of statues, such as those of Aphrodite and other figures, further illustrate the city’s role as a center of artistic production and its connection to the broader trends of Roman Imperial art.

Through these artifacts, we gain valuable insights into the aesthetic values, religious beliefs, and social structures of the Roman Empire, as well as the unique contributions of Perge to this rich artistic tradition.

The excavations in Perge are being conducted as part of the ‘Heritage to the Future Project,’ aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the region.

Türkiye Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums

Cover Image Credit: Türkiye Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums

Related Articles

A 1,700-year-old trident discovered in Assos ancient city in Türkiye

10 October 2023

10 October 2023

An iron trident, believed to be used for fishing, dating to the 3rd or 4th century A.D. has been discovered...

Huge ancient stone murals discovered in central China: “It is an important discovery that enriches and rewrites the art history of the Song Dynasty”

10 October 2022

10 October 2022

Two stone murals from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) have been discovered in Henan Province, central China, and are the...

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.’...

The Stolen Frescoes were Returned to the Pompeii Archaeological Park

20 May 2021

20 May 2021

Six frescoes ripped from the remains of ancient Roman villas years ago have been returned to the Pompeii archaeological site,...

Amateur divers discover ‘enormously valuable’ hoard of Roman coins

27 September 2021

27 September 2021

Two amateur free divers have found one of the largest collections of Roman coins in Europe off the east coast of Spain. Luis Lens...

New studies confirm that there was indeed a shipyard at Lothal, the commercial center of the Harappan civilization and world’s oldest port

6 September 2024

6 September 2024

Since the discovery of Harappan sites at Lothal, located about 30 kilometers inland from the coast of the Gulf of...

New Archaeological Discoveries at Lystra — the Sacred Anatolian City Cited Eight Times in the Bible

8 October 2025

8 October 2025

Hidden amid the rolling plains of central Anatolia, the ancient city of Lystra is once again stirring after centuries of...

Gold jewelry from the time of Nefertiti found in Bronze Age tombs in Cyprus

1 December 2021

1 December 2021

Archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg have concluded an excavation of two tombs in the Bronze Age city of Hala...

The three-headed statue of Goddess Hecate discovered in Turkey’s Mersin

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

In the ancient city of Kelenderis in Mersin, located in the south of Turkey, the statue of the 3-headed goddess...

The exciting discovery of a 4000-year-old stone box grave in western Norway

10 November 2023

10 November 2023

Archaeologists report an extremely important 4,000-year-old stone box grave has been unearthed in Western Norway, describing it as the most...

Archaeologists unearth 3,500-Year-Old Gold Jewelry in Egypt

14 December 2022

14 December 2022

Archaeologists discovered a collection of ornate jewelry at the Tell El-Amarna necropolis on the Nile River’s eastern bank in modern-day...

A still life fresco discovered in new excavations of Pompeii Regio IX

28 June 2023

28 June 2023

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Pompeii have uncovered a gorgeous still-life fresco depicting a platter covered in food and...

A Special structure Contemporary to Göbeklitepe found at Gre Fılla Höyük in Eastern Turkey

4 August 2022

4 August 2022

Pit-bottomed structures dating to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period were found at Gre Fılla Höyük (Gre Fılla Mound) in the province...

In Jerusalem, a 2700-year-old private toilet from the First Temple era was unearthed

5 October 2021

5 October 2021

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered a private toilet from the First Temple Period on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem,...

The Legacy of the Double-Headed Eagle: From Hittite Kings to Modern Icons

25 June 2025

25 June 2025

The double-headed eagle is one of the most enduring symbols in human history. Recognized today as an emblem of imperial...