1700 Years Old 'Pan Statue' Found in Saraçhane Archaeological Park
A fragment of a Pan statue was found during the excavations carried out in Saraçhane Archeology Park, which is located around the IMM Saraçhane main building. The statue, which is thought to belong to the Roman Period and is evaluated to be 1700 years old, started to be kept in the warehouse of the Archeology Museums Directorate.
A historical artifact was unearthed after the excavations started on June 8, 2022, in the Saraçhane Archeology Park, where the St. Polieuktos Church is located, in Istanbul Fatih. During the excavations carried out by archaeologists, the Statue of Pan, which is 1700 years old, was found 2 meters 60 centimeters below the ground. The left arm and underbody parts of the 20-centimeter-high, 18-cm-wide statue were found to be broken.
While the statue is thought to belong to the Roman period, the exact period to which it belongs will be determined after the examinations. The part of the Pan statue was taken to the warehouse of the Archeology Museums Directorate.
'Pan' in mythology
Pan is known as the god of the field, satyrs, and shepherds in Greek mythology. Although this definition has a pastoral quality as it makes Pan directly related to nature, the depiction of Pan as half goat half human in all myths has made him a frightening figure. So much so that Pan inspired the word panic as he suddenly appeared in front of people in the countryside and frightened people with his image.
Since Pan is a shepherd god, in contrast with his frightening image, he is often depicted in the sources as a lovely figure that people will love, wandering around the countryside and playing the flute. However, Pan has also been described in many sources as having the ability to abduct and panic his enemies by screaming.
SOURCE:
https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/sarachane-arkeoloji-parkinda-1700-yillik-pan-heykeli-bulundu-42277081
