2,000-year-old Venus statue head discovered on Spanish beach

A marble head from a nearly 2,000-year-old statue of the Roman goddess of love, Venus, has been discovered during restoration works at Almadraba Beach in the Spanish city of Alicante, El País reports.

According to the newspaper, the artifact dates back to the 1st or 2nd century AD.

The discovery was made while workers were digging a trench as part of a beach restoration project. They spotted the well-preserved marble head among stones, prompting work to be halted while archaeologists were called to the site.

“They [the construction workers] made a mistake by failing to notify the supervising archaeological authority before excavating the trench, but they stopped work in time and reported the discovery,” said José Manuel Pérez Burgos, head of Alicante’s Cultural Heritage Department. He added that the Venus head was in good condition, with only minor damage to the nose and chin.

The artifact weighs 14 kilograms and measures 22.2 centimeters in height and 19.8 centimeters in width. According to experts’ preliminary assessment, the marble head once formed part of a full-size statue rather than a standalone bust.

The artifact is currently being kept at Alicante’s Museum of Contemporary Art, where specialists are carrying out a detailed examination. Authorities plan to put the unique find on public display before the end of the year.