Archaeologists have discovered marble busts with Greek inscriptions in Israel.

During excavations at the site of a Roman-Byzantine winery in the vicinity of the city of Benjamin in northern Israel, archaeologists discovered well-preserved marble busts about 1.7 thousand years old. This was reported on June 15 by Arkeonews magazine with reference to the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The busts were lying face down in the wine collection tank after the object was no longer used for its intended purpose. One of the busts has a Greek inscription with the name "Lycurgus". According to experts, it can refer either to the legendary legislator of Sparta Lycurgus, or to the Athenian statesman of the IV century BC Lycurgus of Athens.

The researchers note that such images often decorated public buildings and the homes of wealthy residents of the Roman Empire, emphasizing their commitment to Greek culture and education. In addition, the remains of ancient baths were discovered near the excavation site.

Archaeologists suggest that the busts may have originally been located on the territory of a luxury villa in the vicinity of Caesarea. In the near future, the artifacts will undergo cleaning, conservation, and additional study. Experts intend to establish the place where the sculptures were made, as well as to find out who exactly they depicted and why they were buried in an abandoned winery.

On June 11, Arkeonews reported the discovery of 1,774 archaeological finds in Saudi Arabia. According to the publication, 461 Islamic inscriptions, 34 texts in the Samud script tradition, 1,259 rock carvings, 11 stone structures, three historical palaces, as well as two caravanserai routes and four wells were recorded among the artifacts. The inscriptions bearing the name of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph who ruled from 634 to 644 AD, have attracted the special attention of archaeologists.