Gallery: Well-Dressed Headless Statues

News
By published

Roman Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

Two Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

One statue is of a local notable. The other is likely a governor. One is likely from about 200 A.D., while the other was made around 450 A.D.

Aphrodisias Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

The statues were found in the ancient city of Aphrodisias in what is now Turkey.

Excavating the Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

The two headless Roman statues were found in August 2012.

Statue Story

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

Early medieval builders used the Roman-era sculptures as a foundation for building materials.

Taking Notes

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

Archaeologists believe the statues' heads probably broke off before they were recycled as building material.

Headless Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

Two headless Roman-era statues were recycled by medieval builders as foundation material.

Roman Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

The statues' clothing and carving styles allowed archaeologists to date them.

Measuring the Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

A member of the archaeology team takes measurements.

Examining Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

Archaeologist R.R.R. Smith examines two headless Roman statues found in Turkey.

Excavating Headless Statues

Headless Roman statues

(Image credit: R.R.R. Smith)

R.R.R. Smith and his team have been excavating along "Tetrapylon Street," a boulevard in Aphrodisias, since 2008.

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.