Archaeologists from Kütahya Dumlupınar University have uncovered the heads of several Greek gods during excavations at ancient Aizanoi, located in present-day Çavdarhisar, Turkey
Aizanoi was founded as a Phrygian city on the western end of the Phrygia kingdom. During the Hellenistic Period, the city alternated between the hegemony of the Pergamon and Bithynia kingdoms before coming under Roman control in 133 BC.
The monumental buildings of Aizanoi date from the early Empire to the 3rd century AD, during which time it was an important political and economic center within the Roman province of Phrygia Pacatiana. After the 7th century AD, Aizanoi began to decline, and some of the buildings on the temple hill were converted into a citadel by the Çavdar Tatars during the Seljuk period (AD 1040 to 1157), leading to the establishment of the nearby settlement of Çavdarhisar.
Archaeologists from Kütahya Dumlupınar University were excavating near the Roman bridges that cross the Penkalas stream, a tributary of the river Rindakos. Their findings included stone heads depicting various Greek gods, such as Eros (the god of love and desire), Dionysus (the god of wine, fertility, and festivity), and Heracles (a divine hero in Greek mythology, son of Zeus and Alcmene), among others from the Greek pantheon.
The team also uncovered a nearly complete statue, missing only half of its pedestal and one foot. The statue measures over 2 meters in height and depicts a male figure, although the team has yet to announce whether it represents an important figure from Aizanoi or a legendary hero or god.
Previous excavations in 2021 also found stone heads in the vicinity of this latest discovery, including the head of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Dionysus. In 2020, archaeologists discovered a headless statue of Heracles, but the latest stone head of Heracles does not match the previous statue, suggesting that another statue may still be uncovered.
Commenting on the excavations, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Coşkun from Kütahya Dumlupınar University stated: “During the excavation season of 2022, we uncovered many blocks belonging to the bridge as part of our work on the 3rd bridge debris. In addition, we came across a sundial and many pieces of marble sculpture.”