Greek PoliceThe headless Greek statue found inside a garbage bag near Thessaloniki a local resident discovered a small marble statue of a woman that had been left in a garbage bag near a trash bin Unsure of what the statue was or why it had been tossed aside who then contacted local archaeologists to assess the find experts determined the statue to be roughly 2,000 years old dating to the Hellenistic era which lasted roughly from 320 to 30 B.C.E The statue has now been sent off for further archaeological examination and study — but the mystery remains as to how this ancient piece of art wound up carelessly stuffed in a trash bag in the first place Wikimedia CommonsThe port of the Greek city of Thessaloniki After the statue was delivered to police and subsequently examined by archaeologists, CBS News published a report about the initial findings the statue measures in at 31 inches tall by 10 inches wide It is made of marble and seems to depict a woman wearing a flowing garment though it’s missing its head and arms Archaeologists believe it was made during the Hellenistic period This era spanned from roughly 323 to 30 B.C.E It’s considered by many experts to be a time of especially significant cultural and artistic evolution in the ancient Greek world there was a marked shift from the idealized forms of the Classical period to more realistic and expressive representations Sculptors began to portray a wider range of subjects capturing intricate details and emotions as opposed to more neutral or typically “beautiful” idealizations the period saw the rise of the female nude as a popular subject as well as representations of everyday life and lower-class subjects moving beyond the traditional focus on Greek gods and heroes no other information about the abandoned statue has been made public though archaeologists did announce future plans to study it further through lab tests and conservation In a press statement local police said that an archaeologist who examined the statue said it “falls under the relevant legislation.” As a result the statue was seized by officers from the Cultural Heritage Protection Office of the Department for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Persons and Goods who are working to examine the statue for any clues before sending it to an archaeological lab Greek Ministry of CultureThe presumed Hermes Ludovisi statue that was discovered near the Acropolis in Athens these finds are not the results of crimes but rather the unavoidable result of the passage of time this newly-discovered statue’s discovery in a garbage bag certainly adds a unique twist to the case After reading about this Greek statue found in a garbage bag, learn all about the Greek gods of Olympus. Or, read about the story behind the Venus De Milo which is likely from the Hellenistic period Archaeologists who examined the statue believe it could be very ancient with an estimated age of at least 2,000 years Washington Post. reports on this discovery and shares insights from scientists found a statue near a trash heap in the Neoi Epivates area which was 83 centimeters long but missing its head and arms and the statue was taken for further examination Archaeologists have noted that the statue likely belongs to the Hellenistic period a time between the death of Alexander the Great and the rise of Augustus in Rome The loosely draped clothing suggests that the statue may represent a goddess Ordinary women of that period were typically depicted in tightly wrapped cloaks and their statues were usually made of terracotta identifying the goddess would have been much easier "The fact that it is marble suggests that it was probably dedicated in a temple Because of the size — around 30 inches — it would not be the main statue in the sanctuary but 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," explained Estelle Strazdins a classical studies expert at the Australian National University in Canberra The statue of the ancient goddess was found in a trash heap (photo: astynomia) He added that determining the statue's identity is difficult due to the absence of a head often had a helmet and held a spear and shield finding ancient artifacts is not unusual in Greece home to some of the world's oldest civilizations law enforcement from the cultural heritage and illegal trade departments has begun an investigation to determine how this statue ended up in the trash It may be linked to the illegal trade of ancient artifacts The statue will be sent to a laboratory for further examination and will later be sent to the antiquities service for assessment and preservation This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.