A 32-year-old Greek man discovered the artifact in a black bag in the college town of Thessaloniki and turned it in to police on Saturday evening, Greek authorities said in a statement Wednesday.

An archaeologist determined that the statue dates back to the Hellenistic period, which lasted from 323 B.C. until 31 B.C., between the death of Alexander the Great and the rise of Augustus in Rome.

Uncovering ancient finds is not unusual in Greece, home to some of the world’s earliest civilizations. During preparations for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, archaeologists worked alongside construction workers to preserve priceless artifacts they had unearthed with their shovels. They found a number of ancient dwellings and tombs, including remains of what was believed to be a 2,500-year-old temple to the love goddess Aphrodite near an Olympic equestrian venue.

As for the discarded statue, an investigation has been launched by police from the cultural heritage and illicit trafficking divisions this week to find out how the statue came to be abandoned.