In the city of Van, archaeologists discovered a basalt statue of the Urartian period, weighing about one ton. Arkeonews reports about the unique find.
In 2023, archaeologists discovered the first monumental statue of its kind in Turkey (Western Armenia - ed.).
This year they found another one, a statue made from a single block, impressive in size and weighing nearly a ton. After a detailed investigation by the team from Ankara, it is expected that the mystery of the basalt statue will be revealed.
"The statue is being transferred to the Van museum, where preliminary studies will take place. We will get more information after the restoration. This is an astonishing find in an area with very few unique Urartian artifacts," the authors explained.
Scientists have noted that this civilization is one of the least studied.
Previously, a statue of an Urartian lion was found in the region in 1995. "This is the first time we have come across such a monumental three-dimensional statue. We hope to receive more detailed information after the investigation.
It resembles a figure with a stylized head, square prismatic body and indistinguishable facial features. It seems to be monumental. It is very difficult to determine whether it represents a divine or a royal figure. We even considered the possibility that it is a post-modern statue," the scientists said.
