The head of a 2100-year-old statue of the Greek goddess of health Hygieia, was found in the ancient city of Laodikeia, modern day Pamukkale, Denizli in Turkey.
The excavations are being held under the supervision of Pamukkale University Archaeology Department lecturer Prof. Dr Celal Şimşek.
It was the professor who announced the find on his social media, with photos of the unearthed statue head.
“The meeting of the Sun and Hygieia with us in Laodicea after 2,100 years,” he wrote on X.
Laodikeia is situated on the south side of the Lycus River, 6km north of Denizli.
The rich ancient city in Asia Minor was a famous and influential city in the first century B.C., and contained one of the Seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
According to UNESCO World Heritage Centre, it is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Turkey today.
The settlement was founded as a city in the Hellenistic Period by the commander Seleucus Antiochus II in the name of his wife Laodike around the middle of the third century BCE.
The region later became part of the Roman Republic (after Empire) in 130-129 BCE.
Throughout its history, Laodikeia suffered many earthquakes and was rebuilt numerous times. It was finally abandoned after a severe earthquake in the reign of Emperor Focas (r. 602-610 CE).
Hygeieia is the goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene, with the latter getting its name from her.
The Hippocratic oath also originally saw physicians swear to her and other healing gods, to follow a code of established ethical standards of practice.
