18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Researcher found the head of the statue of Bacchus, inside a water channel near the ancient city of Cyrene in Libya

Libyan Archeology researcher, Issam Menfi found the head of the statue of Bacchus, which dates back to the Greek era, inside a water channel near the ancient city of Cyrene.

Set back from the Meditteranean shore in the foothills of the al-Jabal al-Akhdar region, the ancient city of Cyrene. Located today in Shahhat in eastern Libya, Cyrene was founded in 631 BC by a group of emigrants from the Greek island of Thera located in the Aegean Sea.

Battus, their first king, founded the dynasty of the Battiads, which ruled Cyrene for eight generations (until 440 BC). Under the rule of the Battiads, the city prospered economically and expanded to include several ports known today as Marsa Susah, al-Marj, and Benghazi.

However, with the rise of Ptolemaic Egypt in 323 BC, Cyrene became one of the classical world’s most intellectually influential centers. With a medical school and great philosophers, Cyrene eventually piqued the Romans’ interest and came under their control in 96 BC. The province of Cyrenaica was united with Crete in 67 BC, making Cyrene the local capital.

Photo: Libyan News Agency

Cyrene experienced two centuries of relative peace and prosperity under Roman rule, which was interrupted by a revolt by Cyrene Jews in 115 AD, resulting in the city’s steady decline. Cyrene’s ongoing decline was exacerbated by a significant earthquake in 365 AD. The Arab conquest of 642 AD sealed the city’s fate, leaving it in ruins that can still be found today.

The third artifact discovered as a result of storm “Daniel” that hit the eastern region last September, according to the Libyan News Agency, was saved by Menfi for scientific purposes.

The agency further stated that the head of the statue is that of the figure “Bacchus,” also known as “Dionysus” and “Bacchus” in the Roman era, who is their god of wine. It was given to the Cyrene Antiquities Control Authority.

Bacchus was the god of agriculture and wine, but he was also linked to fertility, drama, and revelry. In regards to agriculture, he was depicted as a god of trees and forest, and was often sought ought to help the orchards grow.

Cover Photo: Libyan News Agency

Related Articles

A new study provides evidence that modern humans, coexisted in the same region with Neanderthals for thousands of years

11 February 2024

11 February 2024

A genetic analysis of bone fragments excavated from an archaeological site in Ranis, Germany provides conclusive evidence that modern humans...

The Light of the Patara Lighthouse will Shine Again After Centuries

1 March 2025

1 March 2025

The ancient lighthouse in Patara, built by Roman Emperor Nero and destroyed by natural disasters, has reached the final stages...

The historic Egyptian Palace is being demolished, it may hold a surprise underneath

27 August 2021

27 August 2021

The cause for the evacuation and demolition of the ancient Tawfiq Pasha Andraos Palace, located in the precincts of the...

Unique 2,000-year-old Decorated Roman Sandal Discovered in Spain

20 October 2023

20 October 2023 1

A 2,000-year-old Roman sandal was discovered during archaeological excavations at Lucus Asturum (modern-day Lugo de Llanera) in Asturias, northern Spain....

An extremely Rare Half-Shekel Coin From Year Three of the Great Revolt discovered

21 December 2022

21 December 2022

Recent excavations by archaeologists from the Hebrew University in the Ophel area south of the Temple Mount uncovered the remains...

7500-year-old idol of Goddess Asherah located in Israel

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Archaeologists excavating an ancient cemetery in Israel have discovered an idol they believe belongs to the goddess Ashera at a...

Evidence of the oldest hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe discovered in Spanish Cave

29 September 2023

29 September 2023

A team of scientists has discovered and analyzed the first direct evidence of basketry among hunter-gatherer societies and early farmers...

3600 years old Unique ancient drinking bowls on display at Boğazkale Museum

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

The 3,600-year-old fist-shaped drinking bowls found in excavations in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Civilization, which shaped the Anatolian...

Archaeologists discover the Americas’ oldest adobe architecture

7 December 2021

7 December 2021

On the north coast of Peru, researchers have discovered the oldest adobe architecture in the Americas, constructed with ancient mud...

12 tombs with Beautiful Decorations and Carved Bricks from the period of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, found in China

22 May 2023

22 May 2023

China has a rich history. In addition to the fossil records from the Paleolithic Period, the country has witnessed the...

Digs at Turkey’s Seyitömer mound reveals thousands of artworks

20 March 2022

20 March 2022

Approximately 14,500 artifacts have been unearthed during rescue excavations carried out over 33 years at Seyitömer Mound in Turkey’s western...

Archaeological excavations started again after 50 years in Tunceli Tozkoparan mound

28 June 2021

28 June 2021

Archaeological excavations at the Tozkoparan Mound in Turkey’s Tunceli province are anticipated to turn the city into one of eastern...

In the 1,900-year-old underground temple of Mithras religion in Zerzevan Castle, an area where participants of secret rituals stayed was unearthed

23 July 2024

23 July 2024

Excavations at the  Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır province in the southeastern part of Türkiye have uncovered an area where participants...

A 1,600-year-old indoor pool, the first of its kind, discovered in Albania

13 May 2024

13 May 2024

In the Albanian port city of Durrës, archaeologists have uncovered a 1600-year-old Roman indoor pool, the first of its kind....

Unprecedented Large Burial Urns in the Amazon May Reveal a Previously Unknown Indigenous Tradition

21 June 2025

21 June 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery in the heart of the Amazon—seven giant funerary urns buried beneath a fallen tree—is offering fresh...