Archaeologists at Heraclea Sintica's Forum Discover Heracles's Right Hand

Risida Dimitrova, BTA correspondent Denitsa Kyuchukova

Heraclea Sintica excavations, Petrich, July 18, 2025 (BTA Photo/Krasimir Nikolov)

Petrich, Southwestern Bulgaria,

28.08.2025 18:14

(BTA)

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BG ARCHAEOLOGY

During excavations at the eastern end of the forum of Heraclea Sintica, an ancient city in present day Southwestern Bulgaria, on Thursday, Professor Lyudmil Vagalinski's team of archaeologists discovered the right hand of a statue of Heracles.

Vagalinski told BTA that it is certain that the hand belongs to Heracles, as it shows the typical curling of the fingers, as Heracles leans on his club, a standard feature of the mythical hero. The head of the excavations recalled that a few years ago, the team uncovered the outlines of a building with a niche and two marble fragments, parts of a leg and a club. Vagalinski back then suggested that this was a temple of Heracles, which must have existed in Heraclea Sintica.

Vagalinski said: "This is a significant discovery, because years ago at this site we found parts of a marble statue of Heracles taller than an ordinary human being. In 2018 and 2019, we were unable to work there, but when such a statue was discovered this year, I decided that we should begin studying the building in question in Heraclea Sintica. It impressed us because, in addition to the marble statue parts, we saw a well-crafted semicircular niche and stone slab flooring, which indicated that the building was not ordinary. Since then, we have designated it as a temple of Heracles."

The hand was found near the locations of the two parts discovered in 2018. The two finds have been cleaned and are now on display in the Museum of History in Petrich.

Vagalinski expressed hope that other important parts of the statue of Heracles, especially the head, will be found during this year's excavations. "The more finds we get, even from different parts of the body, the more realistic the digital and graphic reconstruction of his pose will be. The city must have had a temple of Heracles. There was probably more than one, but obviously near the square there must have been a temple dedicated to the eponym of the city," the expert said.

He reported that research in the ancient city will continue until September 30. During this time, the archaeologists hope to uncover the building and even part of its surroundings. The most important part of the process will be accurate dating, which will determine when the temple was built and when it was destroyed. Archaeologists already have some clues, but they still need to be verified.

/VL/