The head of a historical idol, considered one of the rarest examples of its kind, was uncovered during archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Beçin in the Milas district of southwestern Turkey's Muğla.

Professor Kadir Pektaş, a lecturer at the art history department of Istanbul Medeniyet University's faculty of arts and the head of the excavation team at the ancient city, said that they were very excited about the discoveries made in Beçin.

Pektaş stated that this year a very rare artifact was unearthed during the meticulous excavations carried out in the ancient city which also served as a castle.

“Very beautiful ceramics and small finds were uncovered in the works we carried out in the inner castle. One of them has been the head piece of the Kiliya-type idol known as the ‘Stargazer’ or ‘Starwarrior,’” Pektaş said.

Elaborating on the details of the head of the marble female idol, Pektaş said: “It is a sample that dates back to 3,000 or 3,500 B.C. and is very rarely found in excavations. There are only 30 samples of the figurine – believed to have been used for prayers and worship – known in the world,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA).

“The ‘Stargazer’ idol is found in the Aegean Islands and Western Anatolia. (This sample) is valuable because it is the first one unearthed in the (Beçin) ancient city and in the region. We know that none were found in excavations conducted near this site.

“In this respect, it gives us an important clue about the early periods of this region.”

The marble idol is called a “Stargazer” – a colloquial title – due to the slightly tilted-back angle at which the large head rests on the thin neck, giving the whimsical impression of the figure staring up at the heavens.

There are only about 15 complete idols around the world, though more fragments, particularly heads, have survived.

Most of the complete figurines found were broken at the neck, suggesting that the sculptures were ritually “killed” at the time of burial.

“It is thought that it was used for religious purposes, but it is not an issue that can be known certainly. It is not clear whether the head and the body parts were separated and buried separately during worship, or that happened for another purpose but it is believed to have been created for prayer and worship purposes,” Pektaş said.

Excavations are carried out regularly at the ancient city, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2012. Restorative efforts are also ongoing at the site to make the historical locale a tourist attraction.

Pektaş noted that the pieces of ceramic pots brought to the excavation house after they were removed from the ancient city were carefully reattached and restored to be put on show and encourage tourism.

Noting that there were Hellenistic and Mycenaean ceramics among the finds, Pektaş added that this provided very valuable information regarding the history of Beçin.