Full Breakdown
1,700-Year-Old Marble Statues Unearthed at Binyamina Railway Site
6/16/2026, 12:42:41 AM
Discovery During Railway Expansion
While the Transportation Ministry and Israel Railways double the coastal line between Tel Aviv and Haifa, workers at Binyamina-Giv'at Ada uncovered two marble protomes in a Roman-Byzantine wine-collection pit. IAA excavation directors Eliran Oren and Avishag Reiss confirmed the statues date to the Roman period and were deliberately placed face-down when the winepress ceased operation.
Historical Context
Roman-Byzantine protomes were displayed in public buildings and elite homes to signal cultural affiliation with antiquity. Nearby remains of a bathhouse suggest the statues may have adorned a luxurious villa of a Caesarea resident.
Description and Inscription
The marble busts are about 1,700 years old and bear a Greek inscription naming “Lycurgus.” Scholars note the name could refer to Lycurgus of Sparta or Lycurgus of Athens, a 4th-century BCE statesman.
Significance and Public Access
MUZA – Eretz Israel Museum will exhibit the protomes at its “Center VII – The Domestic House” conference and keep them on view through summer. The exhibition offers a rare, near-real-time glimpse of elite Roman-Byzantine décor and links visitors with the ancient past.
Official Statements
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu highlighted the find as evidence of archaeology’s public value, contrasting modern rail work with sudden insight into past life. MUZA Director-General Gil Omer stressed the rarity of such well-preserved marble statues. The IAA called the discovery “once-in-a-lifetime” and pledged continued research.
On-the-Ground Observation
Archaeologists noted the statues were neatly arranged face-down in the pit, indicating intentional burial rather than accidental loss. Michael Sorotskin described the moment of exposure as “simply amazing,” underscoring the unexpected nature of the find.
Conflicting Interpretations
The inscription’s reference to “Lycurgus” remains ambiguous, and the purpose of burying the statues—protective concealment or ritual deposition—has not been resolved. Some scholars suggest the burial may have occurred during a period of local unrest to safeguard valuable objects.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The statues date back to the Roman period, and interestingly, they were not discovered in situ where they once stood!” — Eliran Oren and Avishag Reiss, IAA excavation directors
- “Mysteriously, they were found neatly laid, face down, inside a wine-collection pit of a Roman-Byzantine period winepress; meaning they were buried when it went out of use.” — Eliran Oren and Avishag Reiss
- “Then, slowly, slowly, the two statues were revealed. I'm still struggling to find the right words. It is simply wondrous.” — Michael Sorotskin, IAA archaeologist
- “One moment, people are working on a modern infrastructure project, and the next, a window opens into the lives and cultural world of those who lived here many hundreds of years ago,” — Amichai Eliyahu, Heritage Minister
What’s Next
After the summer display, the statues will undergo cleaning, conservation, and interdisciplinary study to confirm their identities and original setting. Researchers hope the analysis will clarify elite patronage patterns in the Caesarea region during the Roman-Byzantine era.