Colossal Head of Roman Empress Discovered

Excavations at the site of Sagalassos in Turkey have uncovered the remains of an enormous Roman era statue of the Empress Faustina. Sagalassos is a Roman metropolis that has been featured in Archaeology magazine's Interactive Digs, and it's being excavated by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven team (Belgium) directed by Marc Waelkens.

Faustina was the wife of Antoninus Pius, the successor of the emperor Hadrian; a colossal statue of Hadrian himself was discovered near this location last year.

The marble head is 2.5 feet high with large almond-shaped eyes and fleshy lips, according to Archaeology's web page, where you can find all the details on this exciting discovery.

• Colossal Head of Roman Empress Unearthed, Marc Waelkens at Archaeology Online.
• Sagalassos, on Archaeology magazine's Interactive Digs
• More on the Emperor Hadrian and his crowd, from our Ancient History guide, N.S. Gill.