The Deputy Director of Antiquities Control in Shahhat, Anis Hamid Bouajila, has disclosed details regarding the discovery of a new archaeological site located beneath the surface within the historical area of Shahhat, also known as Cyrene or Syrene.
A team of researchers and the conservation department from the Cyrene Antiquities Control managed to locate the site, which has been described as a circular structure branching into several passages (catacombs), situated at a depth of between three and four metres underground. Bouajila noted that the newly discovered area covers approximately ten square metres and lies within the perimeter fence of the archaeological zone.
Regarding the preliminary finds, Bouajila explained that during the site’s initial assessment, two fixed pedestals were found bearing the feet of two statues, which appeared to be wearing Greek-style sandals. The finds also included a collection of jars and various pottery fragments.
Bouajila stressed that the site’s exact function remains ambiguous; it is yet to be determined whether it was a water cistern, a tomb, or a hiding place. However, its location and the nature of the recovered artefacts suggest that it likely dates back to the Hellenistic or Early Roman period. The control director added that a specialised team will soon be formed to carry out detailed excavation and documentation of the site.
The Antiquities Control department confirmed that these findings are preliminary, and further excavation work and a detailed study will be completed later to fully uncover the site’s features and precisely determine its archaeological nature and function.
