Builders dug up an amazing white marble head in the center of Rome

A fragment of an ancient statue of the goddess was used as a building material

The marble head was discovered during work on one of the Roman squares. Builders have unearthed a white marble head in the historic center of Rome, the mayor of the Italian capital announced on social networks.

Posting a photo of a dirt-covered ancient relic on Twitter the other day, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri wrote: “#Roma continues to bring back precious testimonies of its past: a magnificent intact marble head was found during works in Piazza Augusto Imperatore, in which @Sovrintendenza participated.”

Further, Gualtieri added that archaeologists and restorers are now “busy cleaning and studying the find.”

As CNN explains, the Sovrintendenza Kapitolina (Capitol Office) manages, maintains and enhances the historical and archaeological heritage of the capital.

The impressive fragment, believed to be part of a statue of a female deity, has been unearthed in a foundation unearthed during “reconstruction of the Mausoleum of Augustus and Piazza Augusto Imperatore,” according to a statement released online by Rome’s city council. The report stated that the head was found on the east side of the site, which is currently being worked on.

It was thanks to the “careful work of archaeologists from the Main Office” that the relic was discovered, the statement said, adding that it is hoped that the find will help experts “deepen knowledge” of the city’s ancient history.

“A recently found head of fine workmanship, sculpted from Greek marble, probably belongs to a statue of a female deity, possibly Aphrodite, of natural size. [Она] shows an exquisite hairstyle made of hair collected at the back thanks to the “shade”, a ribbon tied in a knot at the crown,” says Claudio Parisi Presicce, spokesman for the Capitol Office.

He explained that the head had been excavated intact from the foundations of a Late Antique wall.

According to Parisi Presicce, the head was “reused as a building material.” Workers found her lying face down and protected by an earthen rampart on which rests the foundation of the wall.

While it may seem surprising that an antiquity was found in such a state, it would not be unusual, the superintendent said.

“Reuse of works of sculpture, even those of significant value, was a very common practice in the late Middle Ages, which made it possible, as in this case, to successfully preserve important works of art,” the specialist added.

According to Parisi Presicce, the find appears to date from the Augustan era. He said restorers and archaeologists are now hoping to restore it, as well as seeking to identify the ancient artifact and determine how old it is.