Archeology Geek

[shipperx]

From Discovery News: 

Bust of Aging Caesar Found in Rhone River

Divers trained in archaeology discovered a marble bust of an aging Caesar in the Rhone River that France's Culture Ministry said Tuesday could be the oldest known.

The life-sized bust showing the Roman ruler with wrinkles and hollows in his face is tentatively dated to 46 B.C. Divers uncovered the Caesar bust and a collection of other finds in the Rhone near the town of Arles -- founded by Caesar.

Among other items in the treasure trove of ancient objects is a 5.9 foot marble statue of Neptune, dated to the first decade of the third century after Christ.

Two smaller statues, both in bronze and measuring 27.5 inches each also were found, one of them, a satyr with his hands tied behind his back, "doubtless" originated in Hellenic Greece, the ministry said.

"Some (of the discoveries) are unique in Europe," Culture Minister Christine Albanel said. The bust of Caesar is in a class by itself.

"This marble bust of the founder of the Roman city of Arles constitutes the most ancient representation known today of Caesar," the ministry statement said, adding that it "undoubtedly" dates to the creation of Arles in 46 B.C.

Among other things, researchers are trying to uncover "in what context these statues were thrown into the river," said Michel L'Hour, who heads the Department of Subaquatic Archaeological Research, whose divers made the discovery between September and October 2007.

The site "has barely been skimmed," L'Hour said, adding that a new search operation will begin this summer.

He said the Arles region, in the Provence region of southern France, with its Roman beginnings, and the Rhone are "propitious" for discoveries.

Albanel called the find "exceptional" and said that the Caesar bust is "the oldest representation known today" of the emperor.

Divers also found a huge marble statue of Neptune, dated from the third century.

Comments

[quinara]

It's very cool, but it's also nigh impossible for them to state that it's actually Caesar. I may be being overly sceptical, but seems a little convenient considering they're getting so much media attention and will probably find getting funding to continue quite a bit easier now...

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Don't they have a number of busts of Caesar, though? This one may be older, but it looks like they could digitally compare it to other busts of Julius Caesar. (Albeit, you know, they didn't clarify which Caesar. I suppose it could be Augustus.

[quinara]

Without any sort of inscription, the only way they've got of identifying it is to compare it to the other portrait sculpture and coinage depicting Julius Caesar - which gives them an extremely inconsistent set of options, that no one can really deny the bust might belong to. The problem is that there were hundreds of other Romans it could also be, and the style of sculpture in the Republic was such that that they all could look very similar (the trend was for haggard, wrinkled and wizened faces that looked like they'd done a good day's work with the old men in the senate - a bit like this one does).

Augusutus and most of the succeeding emperors, on the other hand, had a political message they were trying to push across the empire, so a lot of features in their portraits reoccur - making classification somewhat more reliable.

[cy-girl.livejournal.com]

Cool. Very very cool.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

True.

[rahirah]

How very cool!

I always loved Roman busts - the Greeks may have been overall better artists, but the Romans were the first to capture the faces of real, unidealized people, warts and all.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I'm a total geek for Ancient Art, be it Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Minoan, or Egyptian. All of it fascinates me (which probably explains why I took so many ancient history electives in college. :)

[molliemole.livejournal.com]

It doesn't really matter if it's Caesar or somebody else. That's a damn fine bust, and it's tremendous that it's been found -- and in such good condition. I love when things like this come to light. It's a miracle when artifacts survive.