How does Motya Charioteer elucidate its Discovery and archaeological context?
The Motya Charioteer was discovered in 1979 in the northeast sector of the island of Motya, while archeologists were excavating an open area between an ancient potters' workshop and a sanctuary. The area was filled with rubble and dirt that may have once formed barricades erected during Dionysius I of Syracuse's siege of Motya in 397 BC. The statue was found lying on its back with its head detached and resting in place, suggesting that the weight of the soil that had buried the statue was responsible for its decapitation. The arms, metal accessories, and base of the statue were not found at the site and remain missing; therefore, it is likely that the statue was not found in its original context. It is possible that the statue was originally displayed in the nearby sanctuary and was knocked down during the Syracusan siege.
Syracusan Motya sanctuary potters Dionysius I of Syracuse