A 32-year-old Greek man discovered a remarkable ancient artifact in a trash bag on the street in Thessaloniki. The statue, dating back to Greece’s Hellenistic period, was handed over to the police and is now undergoing analysis to uncover its history.

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• A Greek man found a mysterious statue of a woman in a trash bag on the street in Neoi Epivates, Thessaloniki, earlier this month.
• The statue is from Greece’s Hellenistic period (323 BCE to 31 BCE), as determined by experts after examination.
• The statue is missing its arms and head, but the flowing cloth suggests it may represent a goddess.
• The marble statue is 31 inches tall, similar in size to a baseball bat.
• Experts believe the statue was likely made for religious purposes and may have been used in a temple or sanctuary.
• Hellenistic sculptures are known for their realism, with an emphasis on human emotion and draped fabrics.
• The statue was handed over to Greece’s Cultural Heritage Protection Office for further analysis.
• Experts suggest the statue could be a votive offering, possibly a gift to a deity in gratitude or in hope of a blessing.
• The discovery adds to the growing list of archaeological finds in Thessaloniki, with over 300,000 artifacts uncovered during the construction of a new subway system.
• Police have questioned one man in connection with the statue but released him without charges.