A statue of a "dancing" muse has been unearthed in an ancient settlement in Turkey known throughout the ages as a city of gladiators and eternal love.
The dancing statue of Moses, one of the muses of ancient mythology, has been found in the ancient city of Stratonikeia in the Turkish western province of Muğla.
The statue, whose copies are found in many parts of the world, came to light nearly after 2,175 years in Stratonikeia. It is the only original statue from the Hellenistic period, of which copies were made in the Roman Period.
The statue, known to have been created by Philiskos, a famous sculptor in the second century B.C., has copies from the Roman period known in various parts of the world. But the statue found in Stratonikeia is the only original one from the Hellenistic period by Philiskos, separating it from the Roman period copies.
The discovery is significant for archaeologists because it indicates that Philiskos worked in Stratonikeia during the Hellenistic era.
The excavation carried out in the Frigidarium (cold bath) of the Roman Bath in the ancient city unearthed the statue along with its base, but its head and arms have not been found yet.
