STORY: Portrait of Alexander the Great's head unearthed in Türkiye
DATELINE: Sept. 22, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:37
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of photos of Marble portrait of the head of King Alexander III of Macedon

STORYLINE:

A marble portrait of the head of King Alexander III of Macedon, known as Alexander the Great, was unearthed in the western Black Sea region of Türkiye, local authorities said Thursday.

The finding came during the ongoing excavations at the Prusias ad Hypium Ancient Theater in the province of Duzce, said the local municipality on its website.

It added that the piece was delivered to the Duzce Konuralp Museum to be examined and displayed.

Meanwhile, the museum stated that the Alexander head, measuring 23 cm from the top of the head to the neck, is dated back to the 2nd century AD.

"The king was depicted with deep, upward-looking eyes and a slightly open mouth that does not reveal the teeth," the museum's statement was quoted by the municipality as saying.

"The long, curly hairstyle thrown up to the neck on both sides and the two tufts of hair in the center of his forehead, parted towards the back and sides, are like the mane of a lion," the museum said, noting that this portrayal is unique to Alexander the Great.

During the excavation project that has been carried out over four years, archaeologists from the municipality have uncovered a significant portion of the ancient theatre and excavated numerous historical handicrafts and statues at the site.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)