Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Thouria in southern Greece have unearthed a headless marble statuette of the Greek goddess Artemis along with a fragment of a bearded man’s head, likely representing a deity whose identity remains unknown.
The discoveries were revealed during a site visit this week by Kalamata Mayor Thanasis Vasilopoulos, who was briefed by excavation director Dr. Xeni Arapogianni on the progress of this year’s dig.
Arapogianni mentioned that crews have exposed a precinct wall leading toward the ancient marketplace, or Agora, as well as a well that once collected rainwater from the ancient theater and surrounding structures. The well has not yet been fully excavated to its base.
Ancient Thouria’s retaining wall emerges alongside the Artemis statuette discovery
The most significant find this season was the complete exposure of a 117-meter (384 feet) long retaining wall, first identified last year but now fully revealed in its length, width, and height.
Artemis statuette and agora-area discoveries at Ancient Thouria, Greece
The 2026 campaign produced a small marble Artemis figure, a bearded male/deity head fragment, pottery and evidence for public buildings. pic.twitter.com/GKiGyqACPc— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) August 26, 2026
Several buildings connected to the wall were also discovered, adding new detail to this section of the ancient city. Excavators also recovered a large quantity of high-quality pottery dating to the Hellenistic period.
Scattered architectural fragments found south of the theater point to the possible presence of large public buildings, and Arapogianni said the evidence leaves open the possibility of a temple in the area, though she cautioned against drawing early conclusions, saying further digging would clarify the picture.
Work also continued elsewhere across ancient Thouria. North of the theater, at the site’s Acropolis, a large section of the fortification wall was cleared and photographed for future study. West of the Asclepieion, researchers uncovered a public building whose function is still being investigated.
The excavation is funded through a three-year, 90,000 euro ($105,000) agreement between the Municipality of Kalamata, the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Region of Peloponnese and the Faris public enterprise, covering 2025 through 2027.
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