Archaeologists uncover marble 'statue of ancient Greek goddess' in stunning discovery

Archaeologists at an ancient city in southwestern Bulgaria have uncovered a marble statue fragment believed to represent Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting.

The fragment was discovered at the site of Heraclea Sintica by Professor Ludmil Vagalinski and the team from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, during ongoing excavations near the modern town of Petrich.

The find consists of the lower portion of a marble figure, including its feet and part of its base, unearthed in front of an ancient temple dedicated to Hercules.

Despite its positioning, researchers dismissed the possibility of the statue depicting Hercules himself, and instead turned their attention to Artemis after closely examining the surviving details of the sculpture.

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According to the excavation team, the figure appears to be wearing hunter-style sandals - a distinctive feature commonly associated with artistic representations of Artemis in ancient Greek sculpture and iconography.

The footwear has become one of the strongest clues supporting the identification as Artemis over Hercules.

Further evidence was found in the goddess’s historical significance in the region.

Archaeological evidence from previous excavations indicates the cult of Artemis was well established throughout the Middle Struma Valley, where Heraclea Sintica flourished during antiquity.

Researchers say this local connection makes the identification plausible, although further study is required before any conclusions can be confirmed.

The surviving fragment suggests the original sculpture was near life-sized.

Archaeologists are now revisiting another discovery made at the site several years ago - a marble head recovered from the same general area.

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The proximity of the two finds has raised the possibility that they once belonged to the same statue.

Experts plan to compare the dimensions, style, and craftsmanship of both pieces to determine whether they can be linked.

Until that analysis is complete, the identification of the statue as Artemis remains a working hypothesis.

Heraclea Sintica, founded during the Hellenistic period, has emerged as one of Bulgaria’s most important archaeological sites.

Excavations in recent years have uncovered temples, inscriptions, public buildings, sculptures, and other artefacts - each providing valuable insight into life in the ancient city more than 2,000 years ago.

The latest discovery comes during another productive excavation season, where just days earlier, archaeologists began investigating a deep well uncovered within the settlement, revealing new information about the city’s water management system.

Researchers hope continued excavations will shed further light on the statue fragment and determine whether they have indeed uncovered a life-sized representation of Artemis.

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