Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Ptolemais on Libya's Mediterranean coast recently explored a Roman-era villa adorned with a haunting mold of a human face that looks like it's trying to break through.
Anna TomkowskaThis unnerving mold of a human face was found on the wall of a cistern at a Roman-era villa in Ptolemais.
For 13 years, archaeological excavations in Libya had been paused due to civil war. But archaeologists were finally able to return to the country in 2023 and, while performing excavations in the ancient city of Ptolemais, they came across a curious plaster mold of a human face at a grand villa.
Many questions remain about the molding, which was found on the wall of a water cistern, and it stands as just one of the many remarkable finds that archaeologists made during their latest season in this storied ancient city.
The Plaster Mold Of A Human Face Found At A Villa In Ptolemais
Republic of PolandThe plaster face mold was found during excavations of an ancient house, dubbed the House of Leukaktios, which archaeologists initially uncovered in 2001.
According to Science in Poland, archaeologists from the University of Warsaw recently returned to Libya after a 13-year break in their work. During their excavations in the summer of 2024, the Polish Archaeological Mission to Ptolemais made a number of exciting discoveries — including an “enigmatic” plaster mold of a human face found amid the ruins of an ancient house.
This “surprising find,” molded from hydraulic plaster, was found on the wall of a cistern. Though it clearly depicts a human face, it has few other defining attributes, making it something of a mystery to archaeologists.
“We do not know whether the mask served an apotropaic function, whether its creation was the decision of the homeowner seeking to protect valuable drinking water resources magically, or whether it was a kind of workshop signature left by the plasterers,” Piotr Jaworski, the head of the archaeological team, explained to All That’s Interesting in an email.
However, the Polish Archaeological Mission to Ptolemais suspects that it may be a sign that the house where it was found was once owned by Libyans, as opposed to conquerors who presided over the area over the centuries.
“The face discovered in the cistern bears some resemblance to human faces carved into the walls of the Libyan sanctuary in Slonta, located south of Cyrene. It cannot be entirely ruled out that the homeowner—or at least those involved in creating the image—were of Libyan origin,” Jaworski explained. “Epigraphic sources indicate that at least since the 1st century BCE, representatives of the Libyan elite, who assimilated quickly, were granted citizenship in the Greek cities of Cyrenaica. However, this remains speculation, and research on this enigmatic depiction is just beginning.”
Piotr Jaworski/University of WarsawArchaeologists excavating the house in the ancient city of Ptolemais.
Indeed, archaeologists can only speculate about what the plaster face means or who molded it. Meanwhile, they also made a number of other exciting discoveries at this ancient home unearthed in Ptolemais.
Other Stunning Discoveries At The House Of Leukaktios
Piotr Jaworski/University of WarsawAn archaeologist working to clean a mosaic, one of the many incredible finds at the ancient house in Ptolemais.
The plaster face mold on the cistern was found at an ancient house — dubbed the “House of Leukaktios” by the archaeological team back in 2001 — which dates back to the second or third century C.E.
During their most recent excavations, the archaeologists explored the “utility” section of the house. They uncovered an inner courtyard (called a peristyle) which extended around a kitchen, a staircase, and a room decorated with mosaics. The archaeologists also examined the house’s water collection system, which employed a pool (called an impluvium) to collect rainwater, which was then drained into two underground cisterns, one of which was decorated with the plaster face.
The archaeologists also determined that the house had been damaged by earthquakes that rattled the region in the second half of the third century. Because of stone containers placed by the door — which were likely used to pay taxes — archaeologists suspect that the house was rebuilt during the Roman period.
Republic of PolandAn archaeologist works to clean a mosaic near the cistern inlet at the House of Leukaktios, which was damaged by earthquakes in the third century C.E. and later rebuilt.
Indeed, the house is a symbol of Ptolemais’ long and fascinating history. An ancient port city perched on the east African coast, it was founded by Egyptian kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty, who ruled over the region around the fourth or third century B.C.E. During the late Roman period, it also was also briefly the capital of the Libya Superior province. The city endured until the Arab conquest of the seventh century C.E.
But the question remains: who molded this plaster face and why? For now, archaeologists don’t have the answers. But this curious mold stands as a unique artifact and a hint at what life was like in Ptolemais nearly two millennia ago.
After reading about the mysterious face molding found during excavations in Libya, discover the story of Timgad, the perfectly preserved Roman ruins in Algeria that were hidden in the desert for 1,000 years. Then, learn about El Azizia, a small Libyan town that was long considered one of the hottest places on Earth.
