An ancient Roman marble statue was found in a Bulgarian sewer

Last week, Bulgarian archaeologists made a surprising discovery in an ancient Roman sewer: a well-preserved marble statue taller than a human.

Hidden treasure

The excavation team led by Dr. Lyudmila Vagalinsky accidentally found the statue near the village of Rupite, not far from the southern - the western border of Bulgaria with Greece. The statue, believed to represent the god Hermes, may have been hidden by pagans in the late fourth century to protect it from Christian iconoclasts.

An unexpected find

Dr Wagalinski described the find as surprising. The team was conducting a routine excavation in the intense summer heat when they noticed a marble leg in the soil. Excavations revealed a complete statue with no signs of damage to the face or head, which is rare for artifacts of this age.

Historical significance

The discovery gives an opportunity to look into the religious tension of that time. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in AD 380, the pagans probably sought to preserve their religious icons from destruction. The statue's burial may have coincided with a major earthquake in AD 388 that rendered the sewer system obsolete, turning it into an unexpected time capsule.

Savings and plans for the future

Currently, Dr. Wagalinski and his team are carefully removing the statue. Once fully excavated, the statue will be dated and analyzed before being displayed at a local history museum.

This remarkable find enriches our understanding of local culture and religious practices in ancient Heraclea of Synthia, offering a rare and valuable insight into the past.