1,800-Year-Old Statue Found in Ancient Turkish City

JAKARTA - A statue estimated to be around 1,800 years old has been found in the ancient city of Blaundos, located in the western Turkish province of Usak late last month.

Excavations are being carried out at the 2,000-year-old stadium at the site, which is believed to have been built by Macedonian soldiers who settled in the area during Alexander the Great's Anatolian campaign.

Serif Soyler, head of the excavation and museum director, told Anadolu that the statue was a figure of a man 87 centimeters (34.25 inches) tall and 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) wide.

"This is a beautifully made torso, which according to our initial estimates dates back to the 2nd century AD," the official said, noting that the torso was reused as a filling stone during the Byzantine period and naturally preserved within the walls, reported Anadolu (17/12).

According to archaeologists, the statue was found embedded in the stadium wall, facing the deep valley formed by the Ulubey Gorge.

The statue, which has no head, arms or legs, has been moved to the Usak Museum for preservation.

Conservation and restoration work is underway at the museum, with further plans to be displayed to the public once the scientific analysis is complete.