Wood carving Greco-Roman style For the hero Hercules From each other 1800 years It was found in good condition submerged in groundwater during archaeological excavations In downtown Ibizaon the Spanish island of the same name.
In addition to this classical sculpture, other organic remains appeared, such as a leather sole, abundant pieces of wood, seeds, Figs and even ground pomegranateas explained by archaeologist Glenda Graziani, who runs the intervention with archaeologist Juan José Mari Casanova.
The site where the remains were found is located on Isidore Macabic Street in Ibiza, where the Balearic Housing Institute (Ibafi) plans to build 60 social apartments that will consist of two underground floors, which will require excavations up to 7 meters deep.
In this area of the city, the water level reaches a depth of 1.2 metres, so work has been done to dry the land. Archaeological finds have been produced about Two meters deep.
As Graziani explained, the nature of the land in which the site was preserved, submerged in groundwater, is “an oxygen-free environment, exposed to constant humidity and temperature,” ensuring “excellent preservation” of the organic remains, which are usually ephemeral, so their discovery represents “An extraordinary fact.”
“We found remains that are usually lost over time, but were preserved in these conditions,” the archaeologist added.
During excavation, the first thing that appeared were several wells, which had different functions, but their final use was for… Garbage collector. It was in one of the wells where unique remains were recovered, among which stands out the sculpture of Hercules: a piece of 30 cmIt is carefully designed, and its early estimates place it in a 3rd century AD context. C.
The sculpture is located in the laboratory of the Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera, where it is undergoing cleaning and preservation operations.
Although archaeological research is ongoing, everything points to a Roman-era residential space whose function remains uncertain as sediments excavated into the natural substrate and used as a rubbish dump would consist of Agriculture areas Its history dates back mainly to the Roman era, although an Islamic phase was discovered in the Middle Ages.
The organic remains of the Andalusian phase, such as seeds, have been integrated into the project “Meedfreenrev, Rethinking the Green Revolution in the Medieval Western Mediterranean”, led by several European universities and funded by the European Research Council, Horizon programme.