E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
This week's storm in the Middle East wreaked havoc with scores of archaeological sites along Israel's coast — but it also uncovered a treasure: a headless, armless statue of a woman in a toga and sandals, made of white marble.
The figure was found half-buried in the sand by a resident walking near the shore in the southern city of Ashkelon. In addition to the statue, experts identified pieces of a mosaic floor from what's thought to have been a Roman bathhouse. The artifacts are part of a cliffside archaeological site that collapsed when high winds and waves hit the shore.
"The sea gave us this amazing statue," Yigal Israel, an archaeologist with the Israeli Antiquities Authority, told Reuters. The statue stands about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and weighs about 440 pounds (200 kilograms). It's thought to date back to the Roman occupation of what was western Judea, between 1,700 and 2,000 years ago. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted Israel as saying the statue "was apparently imported from Italy, Greece or Asia Minor, and may have represented the goddess Aphrodite."
The statue, which is to be placed on museum display, brought little joy to Israeli archaeologists. They say the storm washed away other artifacts from the site, and did serious damage to the ruins of coastal Caesarea. "We don't see this discovery as such good news," one of Israel's colleagues at the antiquities authority told Reuters. "Better than relics remain hidden and protected than that they be exposed and damaged."
For another perspective on the discovery, check out The Associated Press' report in our Science section.
Got a celestial sighting to report? Share your skywatching experiences as a comment below. You can also connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page or following @b0yle on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
Which way to The Ghetty?
That is so cool. Makes me want to pop in some Indiana Jones movies.
HOW SELFISH! by the Israeli archaeologists, to say "We don't see this discovery as such good news,"
They are owed nothing from this dig, it is all by chance that they find anything any way. With an attitude like this I wish they find nothing else and that the rest of the dig is washed away as well.
That is very interesting . It makes you wonder what else is to be uncovered by nature , and how it will effect our future .
Is it possible that Lots wife was turned to stone, and not SALT?
We should learn from the past and carve our future statues with stronger necks.
THIS is the planet of the apes! There was a story some years ago about the Israelis bitterly protesting that Palestinians were digging-up and STEALING Jewish artifacts that were buried under Palestinian refugee camps! There's some humor in there. The Israeli archaeologists have a point there, they should put a hat on so nobody notices.
Jimmy Hoffa?
Jerusalem, Ahskelon, Meggido, Jericho, etc, were all built by the Canaanites at least 800 years before any Jews set foot on them.
It's about time Zionists and Bible thumpers take a look at the archeological evidence for once in their lives instead of making things up to suit their false narrative of history.
Read your bible DA............God GAVE THAT LAND TO THE JEWS.........Regardless of who was on it first.....
Just like he gave this country to us, despite the Native Americans being here for thousands of years before we got here...
Olias, What? Did you even read the article? it said a Roman statue was found in Israel. That is archeological evidence of the Roman occupation. It has nothing to do with Bible thumping or Zionists. It is history. What are you ranting about? Tone down the hate and think.
Did he also give them a lease?
Well, you copied the name Olias of Sunhillow from the "Yes" musical album. So much for infringing on other peoples domain. Besides, that album was about a journey of a people to in habit new worlds.
Was the irony intended?
Looks like a hoax to me. Without anything to compare the statue to the scale is unknown. This REALLY looks like someone just plopped a little plastic statue on the shore and photographed it.
God unwrapped a Christmas present
J of New Bedford, best comment.
This is how I felt when I saw this picture
I'm there with ya, J of New Bedford....beautiful
Dianne wins "Best funny comment" award!
Hey, that discovery is another reason to go and steal someone else's land. this time will be Italy
hex, No one ever said that God gave this country to us, the descendants of Europeans. Also note that we are as native American as the Indians for those of us who were born here. The Indians were immigrants here from Asia before our ancestors came over but they are still immigrants just as we are. They lost in a clash of civilizations. Happened all the time in history. Just some facts for you.
NC: Keep smoking the good stuff
It's gorgeous. So surreal.
Amazing that a raging storm can reveal hidden treasures.
Wouldn't it be nice if the social and political storms that rage around us could, also, reveal some treasure?
At least try to base your bigotry on facts and wisdom. As history goes, each of us are only here for a micro-second of time. Try to make the most of it. Can any of us here claim to have created something like this statue that could withstand the test of time and still survive?
For us English / Latvian's born Down under it amazes me that people cling to the ideal that in a modern world they think they own the right to say who lives where and why. Can we not just live for now and appreciate life and family and go with the flow.... If the 1940's worked out differently I could have spoke Japanese with a German accent.
Yes I have carved something it was a Buddha out of Pumice stone maybe someone will dig it up in 4011 and think up a good story to go with it.
This God that gave the land.............er, which God would that be?..........There are 14 major religions ( that's a 13-1 chance of going to hell anyways .... if you ain't picked the right one ! ).