Archaeologists “Roman” excavating at the Basilica of Santo Stefano in Rome stumbled upon a remarkable find buried deep in its foundation—a 1,500-year-old stone head of a Roman statue, hidden beneath layers of mortar and muck.
As the Archaeological Park of Appia Antica noted in a translated statement, the bearded head was “serving as a piece of the foundation” for the ancient Christian church. The site, located near the Tombe di Via Latina, had likely reused the Roman statue fragment as construction material.
A Glimpse Into Late Antiquity
Experts believe that “the use of a Roman statue as fill for a Christian church sheds new light on the Late Antique period from the fourth to six centuries A.D.” According to archaeologists, this discovery may help scholars understand more about the cultural and settling dynamics of a time when Roman society was transitioning from pagan deities to Christianity.
From Jupiter to a Philosopher?
The identity of the stone figure remains unclear, but archaeologists have suggested that the statue “depicts a bearded male figure, potentially a deity or mythological figure.” With “thick layers of grime and mortar coating the carefully carved face and beard,” the restoration process becomes vital.
“At this stage,” they say, “the statue could be a depiction of anyone from Jupiter to a Roman philosopher.” There is even hope that cleaning the piece may uncover an inscription—possibly offering a direct clue to the identity or origin of the work.
Restoration and Next Steps
The ancient head is being sent to Italy’s Central Institute for Restoration in Matera, where experts will begin the delicate process of cleaning and examining the piece. After the initial restoration, it will be moved to Rome for further analysis.
The archaeological team is hoping to determine “where the statue was originally created, its age, the carving technique used”, and whether it connects to any known artistic or historical records. These insights may help explain “how it ended up where it was”—embedded in the foundational stones of a Christian basilica.
Understanding a Cultural Shift
The archaeologists concluded that this discovery might “provide new elements for the understanding of the cultural and settling dynamics of the period.” During Late Antiquity, Rome underwent profound transformations, and finding a pagan statue used as mere building material in a Christian site offers a compelling, if buried, narrative of those changing times.
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