Rare Roman Marble Busts Found Near Binyamina

Two marble portrait busts, about 1,700 years old, were discovered near Binyamina inside a wine-collection pit at a Roman-Byzantine press. One of the pieces preserves a Greek inscription reading “Lycurgus.” The excavation is being carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority as part of the Coastal Railway double-tracking project led by the Transportation Ministry and Israel Railways.

Researchers said the busts portray historical figures from the Greek-Roman world. At this stage, they are not sure whether the inscription refers to Lycurgus, Sparta’s legendary founder, or Lycurgus of Athens, a fourth-century BCE statesman and orator. Excavation directors Eliran Oren and Avishag Reis said the sculptures were found in an unusual condition, laid neatly face down in the pit, and added that it is not yet known why they were buried there, though they may have been hidden for safekeeping.

IAA archaeologist Michael Surotskin said workers first noticed an unusual object protruding from the ground. “We had a feeling we were about to discover something that should not be there,” he said. “Suddenly we saw it was not pottery, but marble. Then, little by little, the two statues were revealed. I am still struggling to find the words. It is simply amazing.”

Dr. Peter Gendelman, the IAA’s Caesarea-area specialist, said the find joins a series of portrait busts of historical figures previously uncovered in the region. He said such statues were displayed in the Roman period in public buildings and elite homes, and may have decorated a nearby villa. Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu said the discovery shows how archaeology can open a window onto the lives and culture of people who lived there centuries ago.

The busts will now undergo cleaning, conservation and further study to identify the figures and their original setting. They will be shown to the public for the first time at the archaeological conference “In the Center VII” on June 18, 2026, at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, and later during the summer.