Archaeologists discovered a small part of a huge statue, one might say gigantic. It is assumed that its height was 4 meters.
Excavations were carried out on the territory of Volodymyr's Cathedral, in the archaeological reserve Chersonese Tavriyskyi.
Historical and archaeological museum-reserve Chersonesus Tavriyskyi
Chersonesus is a city-state ancient times and Byzantium. It was founded by the ancient Greeks between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. It was located on the territory of modern Sevastopil, on the Crimean peninsula, a region of Ukraine. A unique landmark due to its rich and long-lasting history, in 2013 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Historical Archaeological Museum of Sevastopol published the news about the find. The fragment found is part of a marble statue from Roman times. More precisely, it is a fragment of a foot.
Part of the foot of the statue of the Roman emperor. Photo: Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve Chersonese Tavriyskyi.
The researchers also note that the fragment of the sculpture contains a part of shoes, sandals with straps. Ancient Romans wore sandals, which were mainly with wooden soles (sometimes leather) and leather straps.
In addition, during the excavations they found burials and remains of buildings of the 9th century. Perhaps these are the ruins of an ancient temple that stood on the central square of Chersonesus, where a historical event took place. Further research will help to learn more about the Christian temples of those times in this area.
Baptism is described in the annals Volodymyr the Great, or Grand Duke of Kyiv. According to historical and church records, it was in the city of Chersonesos (or Korsun, the second name used by the Russians) that the Prince of Kyiv was baptized in 988. According to the first excavations in 1827, based on the discovered ruins of the Christian church, historians claimed that it was in this church that Volodymyr Svyatoslavovych was baptized. The Volodymyr Cathedral was built on the site of the remains of an ancient church found in the 19th century.
Photo: Wikipedia. Volodymyr's Cathedral.
Photo: Wikipedia. Volodymyr's Cathedral.
After the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, historians and archaeologists repeatedly raised the issue of preserving the historical heritage of Chersonesos. There have already been precedents for the destruction of the reserve by the Russian authorities. So in 2015, the Russian military poured concrete over an ancient manor house on Cape Chersonese. And from 2021, the Russian leadership announced the expansion of the archaeological park. Given the use of heavy machinery and concrete, this project could cause irreparable damage to the remains of the ancient city-state.
