They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Some treasures are more surprising—and more valuable—than others, such as one man’s recent discovery: an ancient Greek sculpture wrapped in a garbage bag.
Man Discovers Ancient Greek Sculpture in Trash Pile
A 32-year-old man in the town of Neoi Epivates, a suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece, stumbled upon an ancient Greek sculpture wrapped in a garbage bag. It had been mysteriously abandoned near a public trash can. The headless and armless female figure, made of marble and measuring about 31 inches tall, was turned in to local authorities. A government archaeologist examined the sculpture and declared it to be genuine. It is at least 2,000 years old and dates back to the Hellenistic Period.
Now, the ancient Greek sculpture is heading to a laboratory for further examination. Meanwhile, the Cultural Heritage Protection Office of the Department for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Persons and Goods, along with the Northern Greece Organized Crime Sub-Directorate, is investigating how and why the sculpture ended up in a garbage bag.
Where Did the Sculpture Come From?
The ancient Greek sculpture may have been created for religious purposes, according to experts. “The small size [of the sculpture] is typical for such marble votives set up to divinities in sanctuaries or temples,” Bert Smith, a classical archaeologist at Oxford University, told the New York Times. “People prayed to divinities and made dedications to them in thanks for their favor.”
Estelle Strazdins, a classicist at the Australian National University, told the Washington Post that the ancient Greek sculpture may have come from a temple. “It might be a gift that someone has given to the god either to thank them for something or in the hopes of getting some kind of grant.”
The History of Hellenistic Greek Sculpture
The Hellenistic Period began in 323 BCE with the death of Alexander the Great. His epic expansion of the ancient Greek Empire exposed artists to a wide range of new cultures and creative influences. At this time, the empire extended from Greece and Asia Minor, through Egypt and the Persian Empire in the Near East, all the way to India. The Hellenistic Period lasted until 31 BCE, at which time the last Hellenistic dynasty fell to the ascending Roman Empire.
The kings of the Hellenistic Period were prolific patrons of the arts, frequently commissioning sculptures and public architecture projects. Among these were the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Barberini Faun, and the Venus de’ Medici. Hellenistic artists embraced a wider range of subject matter and styles than ever before. Greek sculpture, in particular, became more naturalistic and expressive during the Hellenistic Period.