1,700-Year-Old Roman Marble Statues Uncovered in Israel During Railway Construction

Archaeologists in Israel discovered two 1,700-year-old marble figures, including one potentially depicting a historical Lycurgus, during an excavation for a new high-speed rail line.

June 27, 2026

1,700-Year-Old Roman Marble Statues Uncovered in Israel During Railway Construction

Recent archaeological work in Israel has brought to light two ancient marble statues, revealing faces unseen for approximately 1,700 years.

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on June 15 that the two marble figures were discovered near Binyamina, Israel. Archaeologists encountered the statues while conducting an excavation in preparation for the construction of a coastal high-speed railway. The artifacts were found within the wine collection pit of a Roman-Byzantine winepress.

A Wondrous Discovery

One of the statues features a Greek inscription identifying

Roman statuesIsraeli archaeologyancient artifactsLycurgusBinyaminaIsrael Antiquities AuthorityRoman-Byzantine winepressarchaeological discovery

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