Roman excavators find ancient deity head during dig at Catholic church

Excavators working at an ancient Catholic church in Italy recently found an even older religious symbol: the head of an ancient deity.

The Appian Way Regional Park announced the find on Facebook. The park, located in Rome, said that it recently bid farewell to “the beautiful stone head.”

The head was found during the excavation of the Basilica of St. Stephen on Caelian Hill, which was built in the fifth century A.D. 

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“[It was] recently discovered in the archaeological area of the Tombs of Via Latina, as it departs for [the city of] Matera,” the park’s April 10 statement read. 

“There, the Central Institute for Restoration (ICR) in Matera, with the involvement of students from the School of Advanced Training for Restoration – ICR, will handle the documentation, study of execution techniques, and diagnostics of the artifact.”

Pictures show the statue sporting a head of curly hair, though it clearly deteriorated and lost its features in the centuries since. 

The bearded male figure depicted in the statue head was “likely a deity,” according to experts.

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It was discovered in the foundation of the church. 

“As a result, the face is covered with significant layers of mortar that prevent a complete reading,” the park said.

The Appian Way Regional Park added that its collaboration with the ICR is aimed at “promoting shared methodological standards and innovative scientific protocols in the fields of archaeology and restoration.”

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“It includes an initial study phase at the ICR headquarters in Matera and a second phase at the restoration laboratories in Rome, where the restoration intervention will be completed,” the park concluded. 

“The research results will contribute not only to the specific knowledge of the artifact but also to the enrichment of the historical-artistic framework of the Appia Antica territory in the late antique period, providing new elements for understanding the cultural and settlement dynamics of the era.”

Objects from ancient Rome, including statues, often come up during archaeological digs. 

Last year, construction workers found an “exceptionally preserved” ancient Roman marble statue in Bulgaria.

Other ancient statues have also been found in recent months.

In January, a 2,000-year-old marble statue was found in a garbage bag near the Greek city of Thessaloniki.