Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered a bronze bust of the Egyptian goddess Isis in Turkey’s ancient city of Satala (Greek: Σάταλα), offering a rare glimpse into spiritual life on the Empire’s eastern frontier. The object measures about 8 inches (20 centimeters) and was unearthed in the necropolis area of the site in Kelkit, Gümüşhane Province.
Satala served as a major stronghold for Legio XV Apollinaris—the Fifteenth Legion—throughout the Imperial period. Its strategic position between Cappadocia and Armenia allowed Rome to guard routes connecting the Euphrates frontier with the inner Black Sea region.
Bronze bust of Egyptian goddess Isis discovered at Satala
Archaeologists at ancient Satala in Gümüşhane uncovered a 20 cm bronze bust of the Egyptian goddess Isis, dating to the 2nd-3rd c. AD. Found in a necropolis by team led by Elif Yavuz Çakmur of Karadeniz Technical… pic.twitter.com/BfhJ9iO0ru
— History Content (@HistContent) October 26, 2025
Excavation team explains significance
The discovery of the finely made bronze piece was announced by Dr. Elif Yavuz Çakmur, head of the excavation and a lecturer at Karadeniz Technical University’s Department of Archaeology. She said the bust was found detached from its base during ongoing research in the ancient burial grounds.
Dr. Çakmur said the find is important for understanding the mix of beliefs among legionaries who lived in the Anatolian highlands. Her team noted that Eastern cults, including the worship of Isis, coexisted with Mithraic and classical pantheons inside Roman forts.
Iconography tied to fertility and abundance
The bust rests on a three-legged stand emerging from a triple-leafed calyx, a motif linked to fertility and divine renewal. Two preserved corn ears appear on the left side of the goddess’s head, symbols of abundance in ancient belief. Isis wears a tasseled shawl knotted at the front, a known feature of her iconography in Hellenistic and Roman art.
Greek influence on the cult of Isis
Although Isis is an Egyptian deity, her imagery in the Greco-Roman world developed through strong Hellenistic influence. Elements such as the knotted shawl and symbols of agricultural prosperity became common as the cult expanded across Greek-speaking regions. This evolution shows how the goddess’s identity had already been shaped by Greek cultural traditions before reaching frontier communities like Satala.
Religious diversity within Roman army life
Researchers describe the piece as one of Satala’s most remarkable artistic discoveries since a bust of Aphrodite surfaced there in the 1870s. The worship of Isis in the remote mountains of northeastern Anatolia shows how Roman soldiers carried diverse spiritual traditions with them across great distances.
🏛Satala Antik Kentinde, Mısır Tanrıçası İsis’in İzleri.
🏺Roma’nın Doğu sınırındaki dört lejyon kentinden biri olan Gümüşhane, Satala Antik Kenti’nde, Bakanlığımız Geleceğe Miras Projesi kapsamında yürütülen kazılarda, kentin nekropol alanında MS 2–3. yüzyıla tarihlenen bronz… pic.twitter.com/aHVSZqhHWs
— Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü (@kvmgm) October 24, 2025
Throughout Anatolia, Syria, and the Balkans, cults dedicated to Mithras, Sabazios, Isis, and Serapis spread among the ranks, driven by personal devotion and cultural exchange along Rome’s borders. The Satala bust gives direct evidence of those connections.
Restoration and museum display plans
The presence of an Egyptian goddess at a military outpost highlights the mobility of ancient faiths. It illustrates how worship, like empire, crossed borders and blended cultures.
Conservation and cleaning work is underway to protect the artifact. After restoration, the bust will go on display at the Gümüşhane City Museum, accompanied by a full analytical study to determine its date and workshop origin.
Archaeologists say the discovery of the Egyptian goddess Isis in Turkey provides clear proof that Rome’s distant garrisons were not only strongholds of defense but also crossroads of belief, identity, and artistic exchange.
