What appears to be an unfinished sculpture inspired by the god Apollo or Hermes from the 2nd or early 3rd century AD has been found during excavations in Veria, northern Greece, the Culture Ministry said Wednesday. 

Depicting a young athlete with a tunic draped over one shoulder, the roughly 1-meter-high sculpture has been hewn from a block of marble and appears to have been the work of a very skilled artisan who stopped the piece at a very advanced stage. 

The sculpture was found near the site of Ancient Beroea – a very important city in its heyday and the seat of the Koinon of Macedonians – and is expected to shed light on ancient craftsmanship in the area.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.