Statue of Goddess Cybele found by archaeologists in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv

A marble statue of the Great Goddess Cybele was discovered during the research activities of the Philippopolis Forum in Bulgaria’s second largest city of Plovdiv. The find dates from the second century AD and is associated with the worship of the goddess during the Roman era.

The statue of Cybele was discovered in one of the late antique layers of the Roman Forum. It is made of high quality marble and the anatomical details are made with precision, archaeologists explain.

Maya Martinova, archaeologist: This is an Eastern goddess, the mother of the gods, represented in her traditional image, seated on a throne flanked by two lions and holding a tympanum in one hand.

The discovery testifies to the large presence of migrants from Asia Minor in Philippopolis who worshiped the cult of Cybele. The statue lacks the head of the goddess, as well as part of one lion. This is very likely related to the imposition of Christianity on our lands in the 4th century, when pagan symbols were destroyed.

The statue was found in a place where the population of Philippopolis gathered in the ancient times and where the most important messages were made.

Maya Martinova, archaeologist: We have found here many pedestals of imperial statues, there are four so far, a billboard for gladiators fights, sculptures, as a whole…this is the most representative part of the city square.

Once restored, the find will enrich the collection of the Museum of Archaeology in Plovdiv.