Decoding the mystery of the 2,000-year-old Hercules statue just discovered in Ibiza

Lying 7m deep under the construction site, the newly discovered statue of the god Hercules may be related to an ancient Roman temple.

Archaeologists overseeing controlled drainage in preparation for a new housing project on the Spanish island of Ibiza found a 2,000-year-old wooden statue of Hercules while sifting through layers of water-filled soil. Photo: Diario de Ibiza.

In Roman mythology, Hercules (also known as Heracles) is the son of Zeus and the goddess Alcmene. Hercules is an outstanding hero, intelligent, good at fighting and has achieved many illustrious feats. According to experts, the wooden statue of Hercules is an extremely rare discovery. This artifact provides important information about the history of Ibiza about 2,000 years ago. At that time, this place was a Roman city called Ebusus. Photo: Diario de Ibiza.

“Wood in Ibiza never preserves well, unlike in Egypt, where the climate is dry. In Ibiza, wood and organic materials always rot. But in this case, the water protected the wooden statues, not destroyed them,” said archaeologist Juan José Marí Casanova, co-director of the excavation project. Photo: Diario de Ibiza.

Scientists say the statue was found in an ancient grain silo, which had long been repurposed as a landfill. Over time, the water table had flooded the pit, creating the perfect conditions for preserving the wooden artifacts. Photo: Diario de Ibiza.

According to archaeologist Casanova, the completely natural sealing of the pit created an oxygen-free environment, which protected the statue as well as other relics such as skin and fruit seeds from harmful microorganisms. Photo: Diario de Ibiza.

Archaeologist Casanova noted that the pit was like “a capsule sealed with water and mud” that protected the artifacts from deterioration for nearly 2,000 years. Photo: Diario de Ibiza.

Ibiza’s history stretches back at least 3,000 years, to Bronze Age settlements. By the mid-7th century BC, the Phoenicians (and later the Carthaginians) were using Ibiza as a trading post. They worshipped a number of pagan gods, including the fearsome Moloch. Photo: The Portable Antiquities Scheme/The Trustees of the British Museum.

However, things changed in the 2nd century AD when the Carthaginian empire collapsed and Roman power in the area increased. The Romans renamed the place Ebusus. Over time, Ebusus developed into a thriving, thriving port city. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Although the Romans allowed the people of Ebusus to maintain many of the traditions of the Carthaginian empire, Greco-Roman culture also permeated daily life, as evidenced by the statue of Hercules found there. Photo: MAEF.

The image of Hercules was widely used by the people of Ebusus thousands of years ago. Poetry, paintings, architecture, artifacts... all bear the image of Hercules. Photo: CC by SA 3.0.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Revealing lost civilizations through archaeological remains.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/giai-ma-bi-an-tuong-than-hercules-2000-nam-tuoi-vua-phat-hien-o-ibiza-post2149066912.html