2,000-year-old marble statue found in trash near Thessaloniki

Near Thessaloniki, a marble statue of a woman, estimated to be around 2,000 years old, was found discarded in a trash bag.

Greek police announced on Wednesday that the statue was discovered next to a trash container in the Neoi Epivates area. A local resident noticed the 80-centimeter-tall, headless statue and handed it over to authorities.

Initial expert analysis dates the statue to the Hellenistic period, around 320-30 BCE, following the conquests of Alexander the Great. The statue is now being examined by archaeologists for further analysis and preservation.

An investigation has been launched to identify who discarded the statue, and one person was briefly detained before being released without charges.

Greece frequently sees accidental archaeological discoveries, especially during construction or infrastructure projects. Last December, workers near Athens discovered a Roman-era Hermes statue while installing a gas pipeline.

Recently, many historical artifacts, including a marble Roman street and items from the Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, were displayed in Thessaloniki's newly opened metro stations.