WORKERS DISCOVER 2,000-YEAR-OLD HEAD OF VENUS

MADRID, AUGUST 4 /SRNA/ - A marble head of a statue of the Roman goddess Venus, dating back around 2,000 years, has been discovered during earthworks on a beach in the city of Alicante, Spain, El País reported.

The newspaper said the head was found by workers carrying out beach improvement works.

They noticed a well-preserved marble head among the stones and construction soil, after which the works were halted, and archaeologists were called in.

"The workers made a mistake by not notifying the relevant archaeological authority. However, they quickly stopped the work and reported the discovery," Alicante's head of cultural heritage, José Manuel Pérez Burgos, told El País.

He added that the head of Venus is in good condition, with barely visible traces of two screws in the upper part and minor damage to the nose and chin.

The marble head weighs 14 kilograms, is 22.2 centimetres tall and 19.8 centimetres wide.
Experts estimate that it dates back to the first or second century AD.

Preliminary information indicates that the marble head was part of a larger sculpture. The head is currently being kept at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Alicante, where experts are conducting a detailed examination and cleaning process.

Authorities plan to put the unique find on public display by the end of the year, after which a decision will be made on where it will be exhibited as part of the museum's permanent collection.