Statue of a Nymph found in ancient Amastris of Paphlagonia

[Credit: Excavations and Research Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism]

Excavations at the ancient Amastris of Paphlagonia, located in the Black Sea Province in the Amasra region of Bartın, have brought to light a statue of a Nymph believed to be 1800 years old. The statue is soon to be exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Amasra.

The excavation site was given to the Turkish Ministry of National Education and in 2014 construction of a school began. In 2017 construction work was halted and the area was placed under archaeological protection when some remains believed to be from the Roman period were discovered.

The excavations are carried out under the auspices of the Directorate of Amasra Museum and Bartın University.

[Credit: Excavations and Research Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

During this year's excavations led by Zübeyde Kuru, Director of the Amasra Museum, a female statue, believed to be 1800 years old, was found at a depth of 3 meters. According to archaeologists, the statue probably depicts a Nymph of Greek mythology, a secondary female deity considered to be the personification of nature, specifically water.

In the announcement of the Directorate of Excavations and Research of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the following is stated: "During our excavations at Bartın's Amasra Gymnasium, a 1-meter, 53-centimeter-tall statue belonging to the 2nd century AD was discovered. .X. and is considered a Nymph (water nymph)'.

[Credit: Excavations and Research Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism]

Amastris is an ancient city of Paphlagonia, founded around 300 BC. the Persida Amastris with the settlement of the inhabitants of the cities of Sesamos, Kytoros, Kromni and Tieion. Sesames is particularly mentioned by Homer in conjunction with Kytoron. Stephen mentions that it was originally called Kromni, adding elsewhere "as it is called". The city received its name from Amastri, the niece of the Persian king Darius III, queen of Heraklion. The four small Ionian city-colonies are also mentioned in the Iliad along with Tyeion, they settled after the divorce of Amastridos from Lysimachus to form the new community, near a small river of the same name. According to Strabo, Tiion broke away from the settlement, while Sesamos became the citadel of Amastridos. From the above it is inferred that Amastris was probably a confederation of cities, which explains the fact that Melas mentions Sesamos and Kromni as cities of Paphlagonia, and does not mention Amastris. The city was one of the most important Byzantine fortified ports on the southern coast of the Black Sea.]