A team of archaeologists working on excavations in the ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Laodicea, a World Heritage site dating back to 5,000 BC and home to one of the seven churches in Asia mentioned in the Bible, has unearthed the head of a statue of Hygieia, daughter of Asclepius and Greek goddess of healing.
Excavation work in the area of the Western Theatre had already unearthed a statue of Asclepius himself earlier this year; now, this week, the head of his daughter has come to light, prompting archaeologists to intensify their efforts to try to locate the rest of the statue’s body.
Speaking to the media, Professor Celal Şimşek, head of the excavations in Laodicea, stressed that much of the research is currently focused on the ground around the structure of the Western Theatre, which was fully restored three years ago and whose construction dates back to the 2nd century BC, during the Hellenistic period following the death of Alexander the Great, being one of the two great theatres preserved in the ruins of the ancient city.
Şimşek underlined the importance of the discovery of both statues from the Greek period. “The two statues were sculpted in classical style, between the late Hellenistic period and the early Augustus’ period. The statues of the god (Asclepius) and the goddess (Hygieia) of health reveal the presence of the medical school of Herophileion in the ancient city of Laodicea, and of the ancient writer Strabo. All the statues are finely crafted and of great artistic quality,” said the professor.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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