A sculpture of a water nymph holding the horn of plenty is the last and “most important” discovery of the excavations carried out in the month of June at the La Alcudia de Elche site, by researchers from the University of Alicante.
This was revealed by the professor of Ancient History and co-director of the project team ‘The Alcudia of Elche. The Eastern Baths and surrounding areas‘ (Astero), Jaime Molina Vidal, along with UA researchers Francisco Javier Muñoz Ojeda and Juan Francisco Álvarez Tortosa.
This sculpture, the second to be found in La Alcudia within the UA research projects, is carved in marble and dates from the 2nd century ADaccording to Jaime Molina, who explains that the nymphs, the figure represented, are spirits or minor feminine divinities associated with nature (springs, streams, mountains, seas or forests).
“In this case it would be a naiad, a nymph related to a source of fresh water, well, river or stream, which in this case was taken as a producer of well-being and wealth, since she is the bearer of the horn of plenty or cornucopia,” explains the archaeologist. The first figure was found in 2017 inside the excavation’Domus Project – La Alcudia. Living in Ilici‘. It was a statuette representing a naked woman with a cloak over her left shoulder, made of bone.
As reported by Jaime Molina, throughout the excavation process last month other archaeological materials of great interest have been recovered. Specifically, fragments of the paintings on the walls of the thermal complex have been found; everyday objects, such as needles for sewing, as well as personal adornment to make hair updos; others of a more playful nature, such as a bone dice with which games of chance would be practiced; and decorated ceramic fragments, such as a lucerne disk (oil lamp) with the image of a gladiator with a net and trident.