In September 2020, archaeologists began to discover many terracotta figurines during excavations in the ancient city of Mira, which was located near Demre (Antalya), calling it "find of the year."
Mira was previously part of Lycia and many secrets, myths and legends are associated with it. According to one of them, for example, the apostle Paul docked to the harbor at the mouth of the Andrak River, which connected Mira with the sea, before his departure to Rome.
It was there that an archaeological team from Akdeniz University discovered dozens of terracotta figurines depicting both gods and mere mortals.
Many of these artifacts are very well preserved, although they are more than 2000 years old. It is reported that some of them even have preserved paint, which is extremely rare. As a rule, scientists have to restore the original color of the statues using chemical analysis.
“This collection of figurines gives us detailed information about what existed in the mysterious World in the first and second centuries BC,” says the head of the excavation, professor of archeology Nevzat evik. “They were under a thick layer of silt. I would like to point out that Mira is one of the most important ancient settlements in Lycia, an important maritime region on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. "
To this day, the collection of figurines already has more than 50 unique exhibits, which will soon replenish the collection of one of the museums in Antalya province.
