Archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered a second marble statue in the great canal of the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica. The find was made by a team led by Prof. Dr. Ludmil Vagalinski from the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NAIM-BAS). This new discovery was made in the same location where, months earlier, an almost completely preserved statue of a ruler, depicted as the god Hermes, was unearthed.

The newly found statue, which measures about two meters in length, was found lying face down in the canal, but its head is missing. Archaeologists believe the head likely broke off during an earthquake and is unlikely to be located nearby. In addition to the missing head, the right wrist of the statue is also absent. Despite these missing parts, the statue remains an impressive and valuable find.

According to Prof. Vagalinski, this second statue appears to mirror the earlier discovery, and it is believed that the two statues were placed symmetrically along the canal, forming part of a larger artistic or symbolic complex. He also noted that a statue found in 2018, near but outside the canal, may be connected to this recent discovery in terms of its story or characters.

Excavations in the Great Canal are ongoing, not only to uncover more artifacts but also to clear the embankment of accumulated rubble and moisture, which erodes the canal walls. The embankment, according to experts, consists of debris left by survivors of the ancient city after powerful earthquakes in the late 4th century AD, combined with clay brought in by tidal river waves.

The newly discovered statue is expected to be fully unearthed, carefully packed, and transported to the Historical Museum in Petrich by October 3. The team will use the same company and equipment that moved the first statue. Although no further statues are expected to be found in the same location, this discovery continues to shed light on the rich history of HHeraclea Sintica.