CROATIAN APOXIMENOS

By: Vid Mesaric, Croatian Radio

The fruit of an important archeological exploration was presented in the course of Museum Day celebration in Croatia. On 18 May in Museum of archeology in Zagreb the audience could had the first glimpse of restored antic bronze statue of a young athlete - Apoximenos. It is one of the eight similar statues originating between 2nd and 1st ct B.C. and this particular one was discovered 10 years ago on the bottom of 45 meters deep sea near Croatian island of Losinj. It was lifted from the sea in 1999. and it took a 2-weeks-long effort of 28 professional divers to excavate it. After several years of reconstruction conducted by laboratory at Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence and Croatian Institute for Restoration, the best preserved and the most wholesome version of Apoximenos was presented in Zagreb. Italian expert Giuliano Tordi told HRN details about the restoration process: