Life-sized statue discovered in ancient city of Pompeii

ancient city - photo 1.

The female statue is slightly taller than the male statue standing next to it, but both are nearly life-sized - Photo: Pompeii Archaeological Park

These statues shed further light on the power of priestesses in the ancient city of Pompeii, which was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Rare statue in ancient city of Pompeii

The female statue is slightly taller than the male statue standing next to it, but both are roughly life-sized. Both statues were unearthed during ongoing excavations at a tomb just outside the city's Porto Sarno entrance.

The woman wore lavish jewelry including earrings, bracelets, rings and a necklace with a crescent-shaped pendant - similar to those worn by priestesses of the cult of Ceres - the goddess of fertility, agriculture and maternal relationships, according to a statement from the Pompeii archaeological park announcing the discovery.

The crescent pendant was once worn by priestesses to ward off evil spirits from birth until marriage.

“The crescent symbol also has ancient and primordial meanings, associated with earth fertility, abundance and regeneration, influenced by the lunar cycle,” according to a research report on the discovery, published online.

The woman's robe is covered with a cloak, and she is holding what appears to be a papyrus scroll and a bay leaf - objects commonly used in rituals to purify and bless religious spaces.

According to Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park, the woman’s jewelry shows that she was more important than the man standing next to her. This means that they were not husband and wife, but the man could have been a priest or her son.

Revealing historical elements

The city of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Archaeologists began excavating the site in the 18th century, in a massive excavation that continues to this day.

The current excavation, called the “Archaeological Research Project on Death in Pompeii,” began in July 2024 and is led by Spanish archaeologist Llorenç Alapont, in collaboration with the University of Valencia and the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

The area was discovered in 1998 during the construction of a railway line from Naples. To date, more than 50 cremation burial sites have been identified.

“This excavation campaign is a valuable opportunity to expand research activities and enhance the value of the area outside Pompeii,” Zuchtriegel said in a press release sent to CNN.

Previous discoveries at the site include mummified remains discovered in 2021 at the Porta Sarno necropolis.

According to Alapont, the statues belong to a group of funerary reliefs, created in the first century BC. “However, these types of statues are very rare in southern Italy. Finding reliefs depicting female priests holding religious objects is even rarer,” Alapont said.

“The Ceres cult is traditionally associated with the lower classes. However, the lavish display of this female relief may suggest that the role of priestess remained a position reserved for women of relatively high social status.”

The statues have now been moved to the Palestra Grande, Pompeii's largest outdoor space, for restoration and will be displayed in the exhibition “Being a Woman in Ancient Pompeii”, which opens at the archaeological park on April 16.