A part of a marble headstone from 400 B.C. was discovered yesterday in the area of Kerameikos in Athens, near the Acropolis. The important antiquity was found during excavations by the German Arhaeological Institute at Athens in conjunction with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens of the Ministry of Culture.

The headstone belongs to Greece’s classical era and depicts a sitting woman and a little girl, and another woman with a bearded man in the background. The human figures are under a gable with the name “Dimostratos” written on it, according to a news247.gr report.

According to the official announcement, the shape and style of the sculpted marble of the headstone date from the third quarter of the 4th century B.C.. It is possible that the sculpture was initially placed in the ancient burial ground along the road in front of the Sacred Gate. It is estimated that later on, the headstone was used as building material and specifically as a door sill. Archaeologists also suggest that the marble piece had a third use later on, possibly as a cover of the sewer under the Sacred Road (Iera Odos street today) when the Athens sewage system was built in 6th century A.D..

The excavation in Kerameikos is part of an excavation project in the Kerameikos-Thission-Iera Odos area that aims to unify the whole archaeological site. According to the German Archaeological Institute, excavations will be completed by the end of 2014. In the next two years, supportive mechanisms will be placed in several places.