Archaeologists Unearth 2,500-Year-Old 7.2-Foot Lydian Statue in Sardis

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 15

A 2,500-year-old marble statue of a young man has been uncovered at Sardis in western Turkey, with well-preserved facial features surviving on the 7.2-foot figure.
Turkish officials said the fifth-century B.C. statue was later reused as paving on a Roman colonnaded street and lay face-down, a position that helped protect it for centuries.
The figure’s clothing — a Himation, chiton and distinctive lined garment — is unlike comparable statues from Anatolia and Greece, making it a rare local example tied to Lydian culture.
Conservators will remove hardened deposits and test the statue and surrounding soil for traces of ancient paint before the piece goes on display at the Manisa Museum.
Sardis, once the Lydian capital and later a Persian center, is also one of the seven churches named in Revelation; the find follows recent discoveries at Smyrna and Ephesus.