Archaeologists at Laodicea in modern‑day Turkey have uncovered a well‑preserved statue head of the goddess Hygieia, dated to about 2,100 years ago and recovered from an amphitheater in May 2024. The find, announced by Professor Celal Simsek, is being conserved to international standards. Additional discoveries — including a statue of Asclepius and unusual civic architecture — point to Laodicea's role as a medical, administrative and judicial center from the late Hellenistic through Roman periods.
2,100‑Year‑Old Head of Goddess Hygieia Unearthed at Ancient Laodicea
Archaeologists at Laodicea in modern‑day Turkey have uncovered a well‑preserved statue head of the goddess Hygieia, dated to about 2,100 years ago and recovered from an amphitheater in May 2024. The find, announced by Professor Celal Simsek, is being conserved to international standards. Additional discoveries — including a statue of Asclepius and unusual civic architecture — point to Laodicea's role as a medical, administrative and judicial center from the late Hellenistic through Roman periods.
14:39, 03.11.2025Culture
2,100‑Year‑Old Head of Goddess Hygieia Unearthed at Laodicea
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Laodicea in present‑day Turkey have uncovered a remarkably well‑preserved statue head identified as the goddess Hygieia, dated to roughly 2,100 years ago. Professor Celal Simsek announced the discovery on X (formerly Twitter), posting photographs of the piece and writing that the goddess is "meeting the sun and us after 2100 years in Laodicea." The fragment was reportedly recovered from the ruins of an amphitheater in May 2024 and is now undergoing conservation.
Simsek and his team say restoration is being performed according to international conservation standards and institutional best practice. Work at the site continues under projects such as the Legacy to the Future initiative, which has already focused on restoring theater structures and other civic buildings in the ancient city.
In addition to the Hygieia head, archaeologists have uncovered a statue of Asclepius, the ancient god associated with medicine, and a variety of civic and judicial monuments. The finds — stylistically dated to the late Hellenistic–early Augustan period for the medical figures — support the interpretation that Laodicea hosted medical activity, possibly linked to a local medical center sometimes referred to as the Herophileion.
Excavations have also revealed unusual civic architecture. When researchers exposed what they interpret as a council building, they observed surrounding walls forming a pentagonal plan with a front that makes the overall footprint appear hexagonal — an arrangement the team says is rare for the region. Additional statuary includes a seated figure interpreted as a high official or chief judge; the body dates to the 2nd century CE while the head placed on it dates to the 5th century CE, suggesting the site was reused for successive civic portraits over centuries.
'Unearthing of the head of the Hygieia statue after 2,100 years caused great excitement in the excavation site, while efforts to unearth its body continue,' local press reported, citing the excavation team.
Laodicea on the Lycus (often spelled Laodikeia) was an important regional center from the late Hellenistic into the Roman period. The combination of medical statuary, inscriptions and public architecture strengthens evidence that the city functioned both as a medical and administrative hub in antiquity.
Sources and context: The discovery was publicized by Professor Celal Simsek on social media and covered by regional outlets and international outlets including Popular Mechanics and Hurriyet Daily News. Reporting and translations vary slightly in detail; the improved text above preserves reported facts while avoiding unverified claims.