Scientists Identify the Woman Behind a 2,000-Year-Old Marble Head Found in Crimea

Researchers from Poland and Spain reveal that the ancient sculpture depicts a Roman lady named Laodike

A team of researchers from Poland and Spain has identified the subject of a marble female head discovered in Crimea in 2003 as Laodike, a Roman woman who lived in the early centuries CE.
According to the study, Laodike was the wife of Titus Flavius Parthenokles, a member of the city council and a prominent citizen of Chersonesos, an ancient Greek colony later integrated into the Roman world.

A Mystery Solved After 20 Years

The discovery was made by experts from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
Through a combination of spectral–isotopic analysis, stylistic study, and material examination, the team confirmed the sculpture’s date, marble origin, and artistic context.

Lead researcher Prof. Elena Klenina noted that from the moment the sculpture was excavated, it was suspected to depict a woman of high status:

“Only a detailed, interdisciplinary investigation could confirm who she really was. This identification connects the artifact to an individual once active in the political and social life of Roman Crimea.”

The Power of Roman Women

Prof. Klenina emphasized that identifying Roman portraits, especially those found in distant provinces or beyond the Empire’s formal borders, is a major challenge.
“The integration of multiple scientific approaches allowed us not only to determine the marble’s origin and craftsmanship but also to associate the sculpture with a historical figure,” she said.

The team also underlined that women like Laodike played visible and influential roles in the social and political networks of the Roman world — even on its periphery.

Inside the Scientific Investigation

The researchers applied several advanced methods:

• Spectral–isotopic analysis to trace the marble’s geological source
• Traseological examination to study the sculptor’s technique
• C14 and material tests to analyze surface deposits
• Stylistic, historical, and epigraphic analysis to place the portrait in context

Their findings confirmed that the marble head represents a real Roman aristocratic woman, not an idealized deity or anonymous figure.

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Cover Image: Marble head identified as Laodike, discovered in Chersonesos, Crimea. Photo by A.B. Biernacki, featured in npj Heritage Science.

PAP