8 year old boy's discovery.

1700-year-old ancient statuette fragment.

An 8-year-old boy discovered a magnificent 1700-year-old ancient statuette fragment during a Ramon Crater trip

 In the Ramon Crater area, 8-year-old Dor Wolynitz from Rehovot discovered a spectacular ancient statuette fragment over 1,700 years old.

“I was looking for special things on the ground that I could show in class. Suddenly, I noticed an interesting stone with stripes lying on the ground, and picked it up. It seemed like an unusual object to me, so I showed it to Akiva, an archaeologist and my Dad’s friend, who was with us on our trip.”

“At first I thought it was a fossil,” said Akiva Goldenhersh, A Suprevisor at the IAA's  Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, “but then I noticed the sculpted folds of the garment – and I was very excited!”

This is a small statuette fragment, measuring approximately 6×6 cm, depicting part of a human figure with carefully sculpted folds of fabric, creating the appearance of a cloak wrapping the body in soft, flowing lines. An examination of its material in the IAA laboratories by geologist Dr. Nimrod Wieler revealed it to be a light mineral of the phosphorite type, common to the Negev region.

“Being made of local material reasonably indicates the statuette was made in Israel and not imported,” says Akiva, who continued the investigation. “The style of clothing and sculpture is appropriate for the Roman period. The figure is depicted wearing a type of heavy mantle called a himation, with no visible chiton, or undergarment. The manner of sculpting the folds and the choice of such a delicate material indicate a very high level of skill on the part of the artist,” he adds. “The absence of characteristic markings on the fragment make identification difficult, but stylistically, it might be of the god Jupiter, or Zeus-Dushara – a Nabatean god who was identified and merged with Zeus in the context of the encounter between the Nabatean culture that was widespread in the Negev region, and the Hellenistic-Roman world; it is also found in Petra. This tiny find thus reflects the combination of local traditions with influences from the classical world.”

The international Spice Route from the Far East to Mediterranean ports passes through the Ramon Crater area, and served as a major traffic artery during the Roman and Nabatean periods. The statuette fragment joins the evidence of human activity that took place along this desert route.

Young Dor handed over the intriguing find to the National Treasures Department and received a certificate from the IAA  for his good citizenship. “Every archaeological find is part of our joint heritage in this land. Handing it over to the National Treasures allows us to study it, preserve it, and make the knowledge accessible to the general public,” says Goldenhersh. “The responsible conduct of Dor and his family is an example of proper civic responsibility and the preservation of our country’s cultural assets. Dor is a role model for us all.”

The  Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu responded to this discovery, and shared this thought: “On a family trip of reservists, a curious child discovered a piece of our past. It's a moment that illustrates how much history is right under our feet. I congratulate Dor for his vigilance and responsibility – thanks to him, the find was discovered, will be preserved, and will be able to tell us all the story of the people and cultures that passed through here thousands of years ago.”

Photo of the boy Dor in the Ramon Crater trip: Akiva Goldenhersh, IAA.