Ancient statue breaks the mould

The Samos Kouros cast was lifted into place by a crane

A huge cast of the biggest statue ever found in ancient Greece has arrived at Cambridge University.

The plaster version of the Samos Kouros measures 4.8m (15.7ft) and had to be lifted into the Museum of Classical Archaeology by a crane.

It is the only cast of the ancient statue in the UK and can be seen for free along with 600 other casts.

The original Samos Kouros dates back to 570BC and was discovered in 1980 on the Greek island of Samos.

Dr Caroline Vout is giving a public lecture about its history on Thursday, before it goes on display.

Kouros is the ancient Greek word for a male youth and a statue would originally be commissioned as an act of religious piety.

As they became bigger and more expensive to make, they were used as status symbols by wealthy Greeks.

The cast was made following a bequest by the late Professor Robert Cook, a former curator, and was produced by cast-makers in Italy.