Classical Greece saw a dramatic shift in style and construction of its statuary. Particularly, this was when statues were usually made of bronze instead of marble. There are a few reasons for this- casting afforded more freedom of form, bronze was a stronger material, and because they were hollow, they were lighter and could be weighted more efficiently/strategically. However, bronze was a rather important material and scholars believe that those statues were eventually melted down and the bronze was used for other objects. The Riace Bronzes, two statues that were uncovered in the sea, are good examples of bronze statuary of the early Classical period. The unfortunate (fortunate?) sinking of their transport ship ensured they never got melted down. That is not to say there are no marble statues from Classical Greece. Most of the surviving marble statues were architectural such as the “Elgin Marbles”.