Rome, ancient marble head, possibly of Venus, found during redevelopment work

A head of a female deity, possibly representing the goddess Aphrodite, the Venus of the Romans, the goddess of beauty, has been unearthed in Rome as part of work on the redevelopment of the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Augustus Emperor Square. An elegantly crafted object and made of Greek marble, of natural size, with a refined hairstyle, with hair gathered at the back by means of a “tenia,” or ribbon knotted at the top of the head.

The announcement was made today by the Capitoline Superintendent, Claudio Parisi Presicce: “Thanks to the careful work of the archaeologists and archaeologists of the Superintendency,” he said, “we are able to deepen our knowledge of a quadrant of the city that astonishes for the richness of its millenary history.”

“The find,” Parisi Presicce added, “was found in the foundation of a Late Antique wall but is preserved intact; reused as building material it lay face downward, protected by a clay bench on which the wall foundation rests. The reuse of sculptural works, even of important value, was a very common practice in late medieval times, which allowed, as in this case, the fortunate preservation of important works of art. The head is currently being entrusted to restorers for cleaning, and to archaeologists for proper identification and an initial proposed dating, which appears to be anchored in the Augustan period.”

Rome, ancient marble head, possibly of Venus, found during redevelopment work

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.