Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
Sardis is a very old city in the country of Turkey.
Archaeologists dig in the ground there to find old things.
They found a big stone statue of a young man.
The statue is 2,500 years old and made of marble.
- city
- a large place where many people live
- old
- having existed for a long time
- dig
- to make a hole in the ground
- statue
- a model of a person or animal made of stone or metal
- stone
- a hard natural material like rock
- marble
- a type of smooth, hard stone used for statues and buildings
- young
- not old; in an early stage of life
- find
- to discover something
Level 2 — Elementary
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Sardis, in western Turkey, have discovered a large marble statue of a young man.
The statue stands 2.2 meters tall, and experts believe it dates back to the first half of the fifth century BCE, making it about 2,500 years old.
Interestingly, the statue was not found in its original location. Instead, it was reused as filler material inside the pavement of a colonnade, an entrance built during the Roman period.
The statue's clothing shows unusual details that experts say have not been seen on similar statues from either Anatolia or Greece.
- excavate
- to dig carefully in order to find and study buried objects
- ancient
- belonging to a time long ago in history
- expert
- a person with special knowledge or skill in a subject
- reused
- used again, often for a different purpose than originally intended
- filler material
- objects or substances used to fill in gaps in a structure
- pavement
- a hard, flat surface, such as a paved floor or road
- colonnade
- a row of columns supporting a roof or forming a passage
- Anatolia
- the peninsula that makes up most of modern Turkey
Level 3 — Intermediate
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Sardis in western Turkey have uncovered a monumental marble statue depicting a young man, a discovery officials have described as one of the most significant recent finds in Anatolian archaeology.
Standing 2.2 meters tall, the statue is attributed to the first half of the fifth century BCE, though its upright stance and long hair recall earlier sixth-century sculptural conventions, suggesting a transitional artistic moment.
Notably, the statue was not discovered in its original context but had instead been repurposed as filler material within the pavement of a colonnade marking the city's main entrance during the Roman period.
The young man wears a thick himation layered over a thin chiton, itself decorated with horizontal bands, an unusual combination that has not been identified on any comparable statue from either Anatolia or Greece.
- monumental
- impressively large, sturdy, or permanent
- attribute
- to assign a work or discovery to a particular period or origin
- sculptural convention
- a common or traditional style used in creating sculptures
- transitional
- relating to a period of change between two states
- context
- the original setting or circumstances surrounding an object
- repurpose
- to use something for a purpose different from its original one
- himation
- a type of outer garment worn in ancient Greece, draped over the body
- chiton
- a simple tunic worn in ancient Greece, typically made of linen or wool
Level 4 — Advanced
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Sardis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Turkey's Manisa province, have unearthed a monumental marble statue of a young man, a discovery officials have characterized as among the most consequential recent contributions to Anatolian archaeology.
Standing 2.2 meters in height, the statue is provisionally attributed to the first half of the fifth century BCE, though its upright bearing and elongated tresses evoke sculptural conventions more typically associated with the preceding sixth century, implying a work situated at a stylistic inflection point.
Crucially, the statue was not recovered in situ but had instead been repurposed as inert filler within the pavement of a colonnade demarcating the city's principal entrance during the Roman period, a common fate for earlier sculptures salvaged for later construction.
The figure is draped in a substantial himation layered over a diaphanous, horizontally banded chiton, an idiosyncratic pairing that has eluded identification on any comparable statue documented in either Anatolia or Greece, underscoring the work's distinctly local character.
- consequential
- having significant effects or importance
- provisionally
- arranged or agreed temporarily, subject to later confirmation
- bearing
- a person's manner of holding or carrying the body
- inflection point
- a moment of significant change in a process or trend
- in situ
- in its original position or place
- inert
- lacking the ability to move or act; here, used passively
- diaphanous
- light, delicate, and translucent in fabric or appearance
- idiosyncratic
- peculiar or unique to a particular person or thing
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