Heroes from the Sea: The Two Riace Statues

Two statues were discovered on August 16, 1972 off the coast of Italy at Riace Marina. The statues lay about 300 meters off the coast and at a depth of 8 meters, Debate immediately began as to how they came to be there, what they implied about shipping and the merchants of the era, and whether or not they discovery site had been 'raided' earlier for other artifacts. From the moment the two Riace Statues arrived on the scene, winning the heart of the public attending the Florentine exhibition and their own space in the international press, many scholars have formulated working hypotheses. This report is a technical contribution focusing on some facts un-known, sometimes forgotten or ignored but offering food for thought.

Written in English and Italian.

LUIGI M. LOMBARDI SATRIANI is an antrophologist and professor of Ethnology at University of Rome “la Sapienza”.

MAURIZIO PAOLETTI is an archaeologist and professor at the University of Pisa.