After excavating the site of a former Roman city in modern-day Turkey, archaeologists have publicly revealed a huge discovery.

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Close to a modern-day Turkish city called Denizli, a group of archaeologists have been hard at work. Their area of focus was once a central location of the Roman Empire, so naturally it’s worth investigating. Indeed, the site has, in the past, delivered some wondrous archaeological finds – and in 2019 a truly impressive new discovery was unveiled.

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According to reports, historical digs have been staged in the area on and off ever since the 19th century. The region was once home to the ancient city of Laodicea, which was part of the Roman province Phrygia. This city was sited at a key point in a vital trading network, and so it became quite affluent.

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Because of its significance in Roman times, archaeologists have identified Laodicea as an important site of study. Indeed, more structured investigations reportedly started taking place in the area from 2002 onwards. In the years since, experts have drafted a new map of the area and have attempted to spell out the significance of the various finds they have unearthed.

The site has produced a number of archaeological finds since 2002, but it’s been claimed that a particular one first reported in 2019 is the most significant. The experts who uncovered this ancient treasure were part of the Excavation Committee of the Ancient City of Laodicea. They were headed up by Celal Şimşek from Denizli’s Pamukkale University.

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Describing their new discovery, Şimşek was notably pleased with what he and his colleagues had discovered. But to understand why, one must first get a sense of Laodicea as it had existed under Roman rule. In particular, it’s important to know a bit more about one particular pre-eminent Roman emperor.

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The city of Laodicea supposedly first emerged as an ancient Greek town known as Diospolis, meaning “City of Zeus.” Later, the area became known as Rhodas. But some time around the third century B.C., Seleucus Antiochus II is said to have established a city in the area, naming it after his spouse Laodice.

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During its earliest days, Laodicea was an area that wasn’t considered particularly significant. Relatively quickly, though, it started to attain a certain degree of affluence, and by 188 B.C. it had become a part of the Kingdom of Pergamon. From 133 B.C. onward, the city was controlled by the Romans.

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From the years 88 B.C. to 63 B.C., the Roman Republic was engaged in the Mithridatic Wars. These were a series of three armed conflicts in which Rome battled the Kingdom of Pontus. Laodicea was apparently a victim of these hostilities – but it managed to swiftly bounce back.

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Laodicea’s wealth derived from its geographical position as a trading post on the way to Asia. And so, as the Roman Republic reached its end and the Roman Empire first emerged, the city took advantage. It rapidly grew to become a vital center of economic activity, and at all times a great deal of money and goods would be passing through.

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One geological disadvantage was that the region in which Laodicea was based was prone to earthquakes. In fact, one particularly significant event around the year 60 A.D. is said to have totally wiped out the center. Yet those that lived there insisted on building it up once more – and without the help of the empire.

Using their own finances, the city dwellers reconstructed Laodicea in a still more grandiose manner than before. Its more distinguished residents apparently funded the building of temples, theaters and other communal facilities. Eventually, Rome agreed to Laodicea being designated a free city, meaning it was broadly permitted to manage its own affairs.

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Throughout the time of the Roman Empire, then, Laodicea was clearly a city of great importance. And its prominence seems to have lasted well into the Byzantine era. It prospered throughout the reigns of a number of Byzantine leaders. But it’s said to have finally been ruined by Turkish and Mongol assaults during the Middle Ages.

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Throughout its long pre-eminence in the Roman era, Laodicea had seen many leaders come and go. But there was one in particular that seemed to be a notably important figure to the one-time pivotal city. This was the emperor Trajan, who reigned between 98 and 117 A.D..

Looking back, Trajan can be seen to have been a particularly significant figure within the history of the Roman Empire. The predominant reason for this is because he led the empire during the period of its most significant expansion. Indeed, when he died in 117 A.D., Rome’s global territory had reached its zenith.

Trajan was brought into the world in Italica, a place located near the contemporary Spanish city of Seville. He grew up to serve as a senior commander in the Roman Army, making something of a name for himself in the process. And on January 27, 98 A.D., Trajan ascended to the throne of the empire.

Under Trajan’s rule, the actual city of ancient Rome was subject to significant development. In fact, a number of monuments constructed in this time remain standing today, including Trajan’s Column and Trajan’s Market. But the emperor’s most important impact was in relation to Roman territorial growth.

At the beginning of his time as emperor, Trajan took over Nabataea – straddling parts of what is now Egypt, Saudia Arabia and Jordan – and established a new province called Arabia Petraea. He later gained control of Dacia, a region which is today within the borders of Serbia and Romania. This was a key acquisition, thanks to the high levels of gold found there.

Emperor Trajan later waged war against the Parthian Empire of ancient Iran. He and his forces were ultimately victorious, with the Romans emerging with control of Mesopotamia and Armenia. As a consequence of these military victories, the Roman Empire expanded to the largest extent it would ever achieve.

In his lifetime, Trajan was accorded the official title of optimus princeps, which meant “the best ruler.” But in the middle of 117 A.D. he was stricken by illness while aboard a ship. He died in the town of Selinus on August 8 that year. He was 63 years of age.

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Trajan was obviously an important figure throughout the entire Roman Empire, but he also had specific links to the city of Laodicea. Indeed, some sources have claimed that the emperor even directed vast sums of money into the place. And this act apparently did not go unacknowledged by the people living there.

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So when Celal Şimşek and his colleagues announced in 2019 that they’d found something reflective of Trajan’s status within Laodicea, it shouldn’t have been too surprising. What might have been a shock, however, was the sheer scale of this tribute. That’s because they’d uncovered a statue of the emperor thought to be unparalleled in its scale.

The statue of Trajan had actually been extracted in fragments from underneath an age-old water feature. Experts then pieced these elements together to restore the work to something approaching its original state. And by the time the reconstruction was complete, the finished sculpture measured almost 10 feet tall.

The imposing sculpture of Trajan presents its subject in his military attire. Indeed, the emperor can be seen to be covered in protective armor, with a robe fastened to his left shoulder and gathered around one arm. He’s also depicted as wearing a chiton, which is similar to the traditional kilt worn by the Scottish.

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Behind the likeness of Trajan, an adversary is shown recoiling, with his hands tied behind his back. The emperor himself is portrayed with his right hand skyward, giving a clear visual indication of supremacy. The detail on the work is such that up close, you can even make out etchings on Trajan’s armor.

Şimşek detailed these engravings to the Hürriyet Daily News newspaper towards the end of March 2019. “The images on the armor can be observed very clearly,” the lead archaeologist of the excavation said. “On the upper part of the armor, there is the thunder of Jupiter, the celestial god of thunder.”

“Medusa is located right in the middle of the chest, which is important because it shows the emperor’s frightening side,” Şimşek continued. “There are two reciprocal griffins, which are the symbol of the god Apollo.” If you’re not up to speed on your legendary creatures, griffins are mythical beasts said to have been part lion and part eagle.

Şimşek went on to elaborate on the possible significance of Apollo’s inclusion upon the Trajan armor. “We see Apollo as the god that protected the fine arts,” he explained to Hürriyet Daily News. “With this, what comes to mind is that the emperor did protect fine arts at his time.”

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The archaeologist also revealed that the statue was actually uncovered together with a significant inscription. This lettering detailed the so-called Water Law, said to have been one of the most essential rules of Roman society. After all, the civilization was innovative in terms of its water systems – but they needed to be regulated.

A series of pipes transported water throughout many Roman urban centers. But it was vital to ensure that citizens didn’t divert the flow for their own individual benefit. If things were to slip out of control, then the whole sewer system would cease to function properly. The Water Law, therefore, sought to maintain order.

The Water Law dictated that those who tampered with the water system would be fined substantially. In Laodicea, if people were apprehended for contaminating the water supply or impairing the pipes, they’d have to cough up as much as 12,500 denarii. This would have been a hugely punitive sum at the time.

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Translated into English, a specific passage of the Water Law sets out the prohibitions related to the water supply. “It is forbidden to use the city water for free or grant it to private individuals,” the law states. “Nobody who has farms close to the water channels can use this water for agriculture.”

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The statue of Trajan discovered by Şimşek and his team itself bears imagery referencing the Water Law. “There is a water can in the middle,” the lead archaeologist told Hürriyet Daily News. “The griffins stretched their front legs towards the water bowl. Given the Water Law, it shows that he was an emperor who brought waterway to Laodicea with arches and pipes made of travertine.”

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Şimşek explained that Trajan is thought to have made a contribution of some 30,000 denarii toward Laodicea’s water system. This, the archaeologist claimed, would have been equivalent to over $50,000 today. Consequently, he theorized, the people of the city constructed the great statue in Trajan’s image and positioned it near a water fountain.

According to Şimşek, the sculpture was fashioned with such precision that its creator is likely to have directly used Trajan as model. “It must have been made by an artist who saw the emperor in person,” he told Hürriyet Daily News. “The portrait features on his face are really intricate and detailed.”

The statue was reportedly excavated by archaeologists from beneath the water fountain in no fewer than 356 different fragments. It had supposedly split in this way after an earthquake struck the city, leaving the work buried in the ground. Yet in spite of this damage, the large sculpture was successfully reconstituted by the experts.

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The sculpture is thought to date back 1,906 years, having been completed in 113 A.D.. If the dating is accurate, it means that the work was finished only four years shy of Trajan’s passing. Yet despite its great age, the statue has held up through the centuries remarkably well.

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Of course, the statue is just a recent addition to a vast number of finds that have been uncovered within the vicinity of contemporary Denizli. Indeed, over the years many artefacts and constructions have been excavated by specialists. These have included sarcophagi, temples, baths and a stadium – to name just a few.

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Elsewhere on the site, an ancient aqueduct which begins some miles distant has been revealed. It’s thought that this would have fed water into a series of complex pipes, distributing it throughout Laodicea. Given its present form, it’s suspected that this waterway was wrecked as the result of an earthquake.

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Many of the ancient ruins of Laodicea can be visited by tourists. In fact, finances partly contributed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism have ensured that many remains have been appropriately repaired and put on show. And Şimşek hopes the recently uncovered statue of Trajan will encourage still more people to visit.

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Perhaps people from all over the world will come and see this work here,” Şimşek told the Hürriyet Daily News, after the announcement of his team’s find. “This statue is important in this aspect. Indeed, in terms of both proportion and portrait, we are truly happy to find this statue of the emperor.”