In 2017, excavations continued in Field 7 in the area between Square 56 of Field 1 and Square 58 of Field 7, in an effort to expand the context of the statues uncovered in the previous season, where yet another unexpected discovery was made.
Not far below the surface another upper portion of a monumental statue, this time of a woman was found deposited face down in the soil. Found immediately beneath the statue was a deposit of basalt fragments of varying size that appear to be the result of an intentional or even ritual defacing of the statue. These fragments, numbering in the thousands, consisted of the fragments of this statue and at least three separate monuments.
In the 2018 season, with the support of the Hatay Archaeological Museum, these and other fragments uncovered in previous years excavations were laid out for organization and categorization. Organized by nature of the basalt, find spot, and finish, we were able to identify a total of eight damaged monuments. Numerous fragments were matched to the female statue, allowing us to begin her reconstruction.
