Archaeological investigations carried out on the sun-kissed coast of Ibiza ahead of construction work have revealed an object of great importance: an ancient 2-millennium-old wooden statue of the legendary hero Hercules. The 30 cm high statue was found about 7 meters underground inside an ancient waterlogged pit. Since organic materials such as wood decompose rapidly in the Mediterranean climate, there should have been no wood left after 2,000 years. However, there was no oxygen in this grain silo because it was left open to the rain and it had a muddy atmosphere after it was abandoned. This incredible discovery provides an extraordinary insight into the Roman time period when Ibiza was known as Ebusus and shows how strongly the spiritual or cultural aspects of Greco-Roman mythology influenced the lives of the ancient people on the island.

Archaeologists revealed super strong man Statue in a pit filled with water in ibiza

According to research published in Ancient Origins, archaeologists found the statue in a sealed water-filled pit, in the center of Fiji Town. The statue depicts a strong man with the recognizable lion skin on the left shoulder, typical of the hero Hercules. The size of the statue is about 30 centimeters high. Some leather fragments and plant remains were found along with the statue in the pit, suggesting that the pit served as a place for household waste or storage before being sealed.

How did the soil save the statue?

Underwater conditions for wood preservation in archaeological contexts are extremely rare and require unique ‘anaerobic’ (oxygen-free) conditions. According to organic matter conservation standards, some fungi and/or bacteria that normally destroy wood cannot grow in waterlogged conditions. The pit was sealed by layers of soil and water, and the wood was kept in a liquid, saturated state for 2,000 years, thus preserving its physical shape.

Evidence of Roman influence in Abusus

Ibiza, known to the Romans as Abusus, was an important link on Mediterranean shipping routes. After the Second Punic War, Abusus transitioned from Carthaginian to Roman influence. The existence of the statue of Hercules reflects the integration of Roman religion and the idolatry of heroes into the everyday life of the people of Abusus during the 1st or 2nd century BC.

High-tech treatment protecting Fiji’s 2,000-year-old discovery

At the present time, the Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera (MAEF) is where the statue is located. To preserve the statue, a complex process must occur to replace the water in the wood cells with stabilizing agents such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), so that the wood does not shrink or disintegrate as it dries. It is necessary to protect the integrity of the statue before displaying it to the public.