The female sculptures were found inside a mysterious burial mound in Amphipolis that dates from the time of Alexander the Great.
Carved in high relief of Thassos marble, the twin guards stand between two marble pillars supporting a beam.
On Saturday, the archeologists led by Katerina Peristeri could only see the figures as busts, wearing a sleeved tunic and boasting long, thick hair covering their shoulders.
Indeed, the sculptures were “buried” in the ground, sandwiched between two walls, one sealing the statues off and the other closing another chamber.
As the first wall and sandy soil covering the sculptures was removed, the sculptures appeared in full glory, revealing the continuity of their robes.
“Their drapes bear exceptionally crafted folds,” the culture ministry said.
The archaeologists also found part of the face of one figure which was missing (the face of the other was found mostly intact).
According to Peristeri’s team, the sculptures appear to slightly lift their chitons -- a sleeveless garment from the Archaic period -- with the corresponding hand.
At the same time, they determined that the alternate inner arms of the statues were not raised to support the superstructure, as with those described by the first century B.C. Roman architect Vitruvius.
“There are no indications of lead moldings or processing of the lower surface of the beam to justify such support,” the culture ministry said.
Read more at Discovery News
No comments:
Post a Comment