Health Goddess Statue Unearthed in Turkey

News August 22, 2021

(Courtesy of Gökhan Coşkun)
SHARE:
Turkey Hygieia Statue
(Courtesy of Gökhan Coşkun)

KÜTAHYA, TURKEY—Hurriyet Daily News reports that a life-sized statue has been unearthed in western Turkey at the site of the ancient city of Aizanoi. “We unearthed a statue of Hygieia, known as the goddess of health and cleanliness, the daughter of Asclepius, the god of health in Greek and Roman mythology,” said archaeologist Gökhan Coşkun of Dumlupinar University. The statue, which is missing its head, was recovered from a columned gallery on the south wing of the agora, and may be related to a local, Roman-era health cult, he explained. To read about accommodations for mobility-impaired visitors at the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus and other Greek healing sanctuaries, go to "To Reach the Gods."

  • Features July/August 2021

    Autobiography of a Maya Ambassador

    A grand monument and a humble burial chronicle the changing fortunes of a career diplomat

    Read Article
    (Justin Kerr, K-5763, Justin Kerr Maya Vase Archive, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C.)
  • Letter from Alaska July/August 2021

    The Cold Winds of War

    A little-known World War II campaign in the Aleutian Islands left behind an undisturbed battlefield strewn with weapons and materiel

    Read Article
    (Brendan Coyle)
  • Artifacts July/August 2021

    Egyptian Copper Tools

    Read Article
    (Courtesy Martin Odler and Jiří Kmošek, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University)
  • Digs & Discoveries July/August 2021

    A Challenging World

    Read Article
    (Courtesy Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)