A 2,000-year-old white marble statue of the goddess Athena has been uncovered during excavation work in the traditional city of Laodicea in Turkey.
The sculpture was found lying face down in rubble in a theatre and although the top and arms are yet to be recovered, archaeologists said the surviving structure is notable for each its size and craftsmanship.
Highlights include a finely detailed breastplate adorned with the top of the gorgon Medusa and intricately draped clothing, with a cloak across the neck.
The detailed folds of the garment and the naturalistic texture of the material point to a high level of artistic skill.
Archaeologists also noted that the rear of the 6ft (two metre) tall statue was left rough, indicating it was designed to be positioned between columns – a typical practice in ancient theatre decoration.
The piece is assumed to reflect the classical artistic form of the Augustan period, spanning 27 BC to AD 14.
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Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s culture and tourism ministerannounced the find and said it was a ‘significant addition’ to the traditional city’s wealthy archaeological record.
‘On March 31, we unveiled a statue of Athena, roughly two metres long and made from white marble, within the theatre constructing,’ he added.
‘This structure, which served because the setting for Homer’s epics, reveals its central role in cultural storytelling during antiquity, while the work, reflecting the classical form of the Augustan period, stands out with its high artistic quality.’
The location, situated in Denizli Province, is considered one among the region’s most vital cultural heritage areas, with ongoing excavation and restoration work continuing to disclose recent insights into life in the traditional world.
Dating back to the 2nd century BC, the Western Theatre’s stage constructing includes a three-storey design with 16 columns on each level.
The space was once richly decorated with statues of gods, rulers and scenes drawn from the epics of Homer.
These included depictions of episodes comparable to Odysseus’s encounters with the Laestrygonians, the Cyclops Polyphemus and the ocean monster Scylla – suggesting the theatre played a task not only in performance but in addition in preserving and retelling cultural narratives.
Athena was the Greek goddess of war, wisdom and handcraft, who sprang fully formed from the brow of Zeus. She is commonly depicted wearing armour with the protective symbol of the Gorgon’s head, as seen on the statue present in Laodicea.
Town was known in antiquity as a centre of textile production and its residents could have venerated Athena more for her role as a weaver than as a warrior.
Excavations at the positioning have intensified lately, with quite a few sculptures linked to Homeric narratives uncovered during work carried out between 2024 and 2025.
Officials say restoration efforts on the Western Theatre will proceed throughout 2026, as archaeologists work to preserve and higher understand one among the traditional world’s most culturally wealthy sites.
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