During rescue excavations near Binyamina in Israel, two 1,700-year-old marble busts were discovered face-down within the basin of an ancient winepress. Dating to the Roman period and depicting significant figures from the Greco-Roman world, these marble statues are exceptionally rare finds in the region and provide valuable insights into luxurious lifestyles and enigmatic burial practices from antiquity.
Mysterious Burial in the Winepress
The busts, uncovered prior to the expansion of the coastal railway line by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority, were sculpted in the protome style, depicting the head and upper torso [1]. Researchers suggest the statues were deliberately placed face-down in the winepress basin after the facility ceased use [2]. The reason for their concealment or burial remains a mystery.
Luxurious Past of the Caesarea Region
Given that marble was an imported and highly expensive material in antiquity, such finely crafted portrait statues were typically displayed in wealthy homes or prestigious public spaces. The nearby remains of a Roman bathhouse indicate these busts once adorned a luxurious villa belonging to an elite Roman resident in the Caesarea region [3]. Such portrait statues are rarely found across Caesarea, with the last similar discovery dating to the 1990s. Experts are analyzing inscriptions on the statues to identify the depicted individuals and determine their original provenance.
References and Further Reading
- [1] Lost Roman masterpieces discovered buried beneath ancient vineyard complex
- [2] 1,700-year-old Roman marble statues found buried in ancient winepress near Caesarea | Archaeology News Online Magazine
- [3] Statues of Mysterious Classical Figures Found Near Caesarea - Biblical Archaeology Society
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