Storm reveals Roman-era statue at Ashkelon

STORMY WEATHER IN ISRAEL has unearthed a Roman-era statue:

Roman statue discovered in Ashkelon after storm damage
A 1.2 meter high statue of a woman was found after part of a cliff crumbled, revealing archaeological treasures.

By Asaf Shtull-Trauring (Haaretz)

Tags: Ashkelon Israel news

The massive storm that swept through Israel over the weekend caused a great deal of damage to archaeological sites all along the Mediterranean coast, but also uncovered a an impressive statue of a woman between 1650 and 1800 years old in Ashkelon.

The statue, a 1.2-meter high figure of a woman with her head missing, has been dated to Roman times and is thought to have stood erect in a bath house.

The statue was discovered when a cliff crumbled into the water at a sea-side archaeological dig in Ashkelon. Among the chunks of earth that broke off from the cliff were parts of a large building that apparently were once a part of a Roman bath house.

Sections of a colorful mosaic floor were also ruined. Many shards were washed away by the water.

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The damage to the statue is ancient. The article also has a nice slide show of the statue and its recovery with a crane by archaeologists and the Ashkelon City Council.