Statues of senior civil servants discovered in ancient city of Side

Three unique ancient statues from the third century A.D. have been discovered during archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Side located in Antalya's Manavgat district, Culture and Tourism Ministry said Saturday.

DHA Photo

According to a statement by the ministry, the artifacts were immediately taken under preservation for further research.

Two of the statues discovered in Side are males while the other one is a female and all of them are dressed.

Experts believe the statues represented senior civil servants in the Roman Empire.

Furthermore, archaeologists are researching why the statues, which were supposed to be standing upright inside the niches were found lying on the ground.

In this regard, researchers note that during renovations of the southern portico of the structure [referred to as the M building] in the fourth century A.D., the Romans could have used the statues but re-sculpted the head part and came up with new portraits.

The excavations at Side are conducted in cooperation with the Culture and Tourism Ministry and Anadolu University [represented by Professor H. Sabri Alanyalı].

Professor Alanyalı told Ihlas News Agency that the practice of re-sculpting the heads of old statues was a common practice in the late Roman Empire as a result of economic crisis during the period.

The ancient city of Side is located on the eastern part of Pamphylian coast, and was founded by ancient Greek settlers.

Source: Daily Sabah [September 17, 2017]