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Ancient Greek Archaeological Finds
- Thread starter Pietro_Mercurios
- Start date
ramonmercado
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And another.
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Greeks captivated by Alexander-era tomb at Amphipolis
By Giorgos Christides, Amphipolis, Greece
The discovery of an enormous tomb in northern Greece, dating to the time of Alexander the Great of Macedonia, has enthused Greeks, distracting them from a dire economic crisis.
Who, they are asking, is buried within.
In early August, a team of Greek archaeologists led by Katerina Peristeri unearthed what officials say is the largest burial site ever to be discovered in the country. The mound is in ancient Amphipolis, a major city of the Macedonian kingdom, 100km (62 miles) east of Thessaloniki, Greece's second city.
The structure dates back to the late 4th Century BC and is 500m (1,600ft) wide, dwarfing the burial site of Alexander's father, Philip II, in Vergina, west of Thessaloniki.
"We are watching in awe and with deep emotion the excavation in Amphipolis," Greek Culture Minister Konstantinos Tasoulas told the BBC.
"This is a burial monument of unique dimensions and impressive artistic mastery. The most beautiful secrets are hidden right underneath our feet."
Inside the tomb, archaeologists discovered two magnificent caryatids. Each of the sculpted female figures has one arm outstretched, presumably to discourage intruders from entering the tomb's main chamber.
The caryatids' modern counterparts are sitting in a police car, some 200m (650 feet) from the tomb's entrance.
The dig site is protected 24 hours a day by two police officers.
Their mission is to keep away the scores of journalists and tourists who arrive here by a winding dirt road from the nearby village of Mesolakkia.
An imposing no-entry traffic sign serves the same purpose.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphipolis site
437 BC Founded by Athenians near gold and sliver mines of Pangaion hills
357 BC Conquered by Philip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great's father
Under Alexander, served as major naval base, from which fleet sailed for Asia
1964 First official excavation began, led by Dimitris Lazaridis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The excavation team has made no statement regarding the identity of the tomb's occupant.
But this has not prevented the media, archaeologists and laypersons alike from becoming embroiled in an often heated guessing game.
Archaeologists agree that the magnificence of the tomb means it was built for a prominent person - perhaps a member of Alexander's immediate family; maybe his mother, Olympias, or his wife, Roxana -or some noble Macedonian.
Others say it could be a cenotaph.
But only the excavation team can give definitive answers, and progress has been slow since the workers discovered a third chamber that is in danger of collapse.
Experts have not reached a verdict, but for the few hundred inhabitants of modern-day Amfipoli and Mesolakkia, the two villages closest to the burial site, there is no doubt: interred inside the marble-walled tomb unearthed near their homes is none other than Alexander the Great. 8)
"Only Alexander merits such a monument," says farmer Antonis Papadopoulos, 61, as he enjoys his morning coffee with fellow villagers in a taverna opposite the Amfipoli archaeological museum.
"The magnitude and opulence of this tomb is unique. Common sense says he is the one buried inside."
Archaeologists and the Greek ministry of culture warn against such speculation, especially since Alexander the Great is known to have been buried in Egypt.
"We are naturally eager to learn the identity of the tomb's resident, but this will be revealed in due course by the excavators," Mr Tasoulas, the culture minister, says.
etc...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29239529
By Giorgos Christides, Amphipolis, Greece
The discovery of an enormous tomb in northern Greece, dating to the time of Alexander the Great of Macedonia, has enthused Greeks, distracting them from a dire economic crisis.
Who, they are asking, is buried within.
In early August, a team of Greek archaeologists led by Katerina Peristeri unearthed what officials say is the largest burial site ever to be discovered in the country. The mound is in ancient Amphipolis, a major city of the Macedonian kingdom, 100km (62 miles) east of Thessaloniki, Greece's second city.
The structure dates back to the late 4th Century BC and is 500m (1,600ft) wide, dwarfing the burial site of Alexander's father, Philip II, in Vergina, west of Thessaloniki.
"We are watching in awe and with deep emotion the excavation in Amphipolis," Greek Culture Minister Konstantinos Tasoulas told the BBC.
"This is a burial monument of unique dimensions and impressive artistic mastery. The most beautiful secrets are hidden right underneath our feet."
Inside the tomb, archaeologists discovered two magnificent caryatids. Each of the sculpted female figures has one arm outstretched, presumably to discourage intruders from entering the tomb's main chamber.
The caryatids' modern counterparts are sitting in a police car, some 200m (650 feet) from the tomb's entrance.
The dig site is protected 24 hours a day by two police officers.
Their mission is to keep away the scores of journalists and tourists who arrive here by a winding dirt road from the nearby village of Mesolakkia.
An imposing no-entry traffic sign serves the same purpose.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphipolis site
437 BC Founded by Athenians near gold and sliver mines of Pangaion hills
357 BC Conquered by Philip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great's father
Under Alexander, served as major naval base, from which fleet sailed for Asia
1964 First official excavation began, led by Dimitris Lazaridis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The excavation team has made no statement regarding the identity of the tomb's occupant.
But this has not prevented the media, archaeologists and laypersons alike from becoming embroiled in an often heated guessing game.
Archaeologists agree that the magnificence of the tomb means it was built for a prominent person - perhaps a member of Alexander's immediate family; maybe his mother, Olympias, or his wife, Roxana -or some noble Macedonian.
Others say it could be a cenotaph.
But only the excavation team can give definitive answers, and progress has been slow since the workers discovered a third chamber that is in danger of collapse.
Experts have not reached a verdict, but for the few hundred inhabitants of modern-day Amfipoli and Mesolakkia, the two villages closest to the burial site, there is no doubt: interred inside the marble-walled tomb unearthed near their homes is none other than Alexander the Great. 8)
"Only Alexander merits such a monument," says farmer Antonis Papadopoulos, 61, as he enjoys his morning coffee with fellow villagers in a taverna opposite the Amfipoli archaeological museum.
"The magnitude and opulence of this tomb is unique. Common sense says he is the one buried inside."
Archaeologists and the Greek ministry of culture warn against such speculation, especially since Alexander the Great is known to have been buried in Egypt.
"We are naturally eager to learn the identity of the tomb's resident, but this will be revealed in due course by the excavators," Mr Tasoulas, the culture minister, says.
etc...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29239529
ramonmercado
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The first tomb on that thread seems to be a different one. (article date 2006.) The Amphipolis one was only discovered in August this year.ramonmercado said:
A good exercise for a new Mod - merge the threads and change the title, or ...something else!
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I think your confusion Rynner, comes from the fact that the site where the tomb was found has been excavated for around 60 years...
http://en.protothema.gr/an-excavation-t ... olis-tomb/
...however, findings were less dramatic than this weekends announcement. Things started to look up around five years ago...
http://rogueclassicism.com/2014/08/19/i ... mphipolis/
There's always been a lot of excavations around Amphipolis, due to it's prominence as a navel/trading base base at the time of Alexander. This weekends announcement is cracking, nevertheless.
http://en.protothema.gr/an-excavation-t ... olis-tomb/
...however, findings were less dramatic than this weekends announcement. Things started to look up around five years ago...
http://rogueclassicism.com/2014/08/19/i ... mphipolis/
.
There's always been a lot of excavations around Amphipolis, due to it's prominence as a navel/trading base base at the time of Alexander. This weekends announcement is cracking, nevertheless.
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You can't nick it!!!!!
Did the Elgin controversy not learn you anyfink?
As it goes, Big Al had no Navy, but one of his major tactics, esp. against the Persians, was to attack their navel bases, so if you wanted to do a bit of a looksee around the web, search for Persian navel bases, or Miletus is a prime spot for info, Patara was an important conquest, IIRC.
Did the Elgin controversy not learn you anyfink?
As it goes, Big Al had no Navy, but one of his major tactics, esp. against the Persians, was to attack their navel bases, so if you wanted to do a bit of a looksee around the web, search for Persian navel bases, or Miletus is a prime spot for info, Patara was an important conquest, IIRC.
ramonmercado
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Cultjunky said:
He lost his marbles
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Amphipolis skeleton from Alexander's time found in Greece
By Giorgos Christides, Thessaloniki
Archaeologists in northern Greece have found a skeleton inside a tomb from the time of Alexander the Great, during a dig that has enthralled the public.
The burial site at Amphipolis is the largest ever discovered in Greece.
The culture ministry said the almost intact skeleton belonged to a "distinguished public figure", given the tomb's dimensions and lavishness.
Chief archaeologist Katerina Peristeri said "the tomb in all probability belongs to a male and a general".
The excavation has fascinated Greeks ever since Prime Minister Antonis Samaras visited the site in August 2014 and announced it amounted to "an exceptionally important discovery".
The latest revelations have only added to Greek excitement about the identity of the person entombed at Amphipolis.
"It is an extremely expensive construction, one that no single private citizen could have funded," the ministry said at a briefing for reporters on Wednesday. "It is in all probability a monument to a mortal who was worshipped by his society at the time."
Speculation has been rife, with experts raising several possibilities including the deceased being a member of Alexander the Great of Macedon's family or one of his most senior officials.
The tomb dates from the late 4th Century BC when Amphipolis was a major city of the Macedonian Kingdom.
The site is located 100km (62 miles) east of Thessaloniki, Greece's second city.
Before the skeleton was found, some experts had suggested the site might be a cenotaph, built in honour of a major figure whose remains were elsewhere.
The limestone tomb was discovered 1.6m (5.2 ft) below the floor of the third chamber of the burial complex. It is 3.23m in length, 1.56m in width and 1.8m in height.
A wooden coffin was placed inside. Archaeologists discovered scattered bronze and iron nails, as well as bone and glass fragments - probably decorations from the casket.
The bone remains and any genetic material will be examined by specialists, the culture ministry said.
"The monument represents a unique and original synthesis," it added.
Earlier stages of the excavation brought to light a magnificent carved stone lion, two sphinxes, two caryatids and a floor mosaic depicting the abduction of Persephone by Hades.
[With pics, sketches, etc.]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30019338
By Giorgos Christides, Thessaloniki
Archaeologists in northern Greece have found a skeleton inside a tomb from the time of Alexander the Great, during a dig that has enthralled the public.
The burial site at Amphipolis is the largest ever discovered in Greece.
The culture ministry said the almost intact skeleton belonged to a "distinguished public figure", given the tomb's dimensions and lavishness.
Chief archaeologist Katerina Peristeri said "the tomb in all probability belongs to a male and a general".
The excavation has fascinated Greeks ever since Prime Minister Antonis Samaras visited the site in August 2014 and announced it amounted to "an exceptionally important discovery".
The latest revelations have only added to Greek excitement about the identity of the person entombed at Amphipolis.
"It is an extremely expensive construction, one that no single private citizen could have funded," the ministry said at a briefing for reporters on Wednesday. "It is in all probability a monument to a mortal who was worshipped by his society at the time."
Speculation has been rife, with experts raising several possibilities including the deceased being a member of Alexander the Great of Macedon's family or one of his most senior officials.
The tomb dates from the late 4th Century BC when Amphipolis was a major city of the Macedonian Kingdom.
The site is located 100km (62 miles) east of Thessaloniki, Greece's second city.
Before the skeleton was found, some experts had suggested the site might be a cenotaph, built in honour of a major figure whose remains were elsewhere.
The limestone tomb was discovered 1.6m (5.2 ft) below the floor of the third chamber of the burial complex. It is 3.23m in length, 1.56m in width and 1.8m in height.
A wooden coffin was placed inside. Archaeologists discovered scattered bronze and iron nails, as well as bone and glass fragments - probably decorations from the casket.
The bone remains and any genetic material will be examined by specialists, the culture ministry said.
"The monument represents a unique and original synthesis," it added.
Earlier stages of the excavation brought to light a magnificent carved stone lion, two sphinxes, two caryatids and a floor mosaic depicting the abduction of Persephone by Hades.
[With pics, sketches, etc.]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30019338
ramonmercado
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Quake42
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Sounds like quite a find:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...t-era-tomb-deepens-with-body-discoveries.html
Raised a bit of a smile with this Xena fan, as our heroine hailed from Amphipolis and her sidekick/best friend/soulmate Gabrielle promised to take her body back there and, ultimately, to be buried there herself. Looks like Gabby kept her promise
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...t-era-tomb-deepens-with-body-discoveries.html
Raised a bit of a smile with this Xena fan, as our heroine hailed from Amphipolis and her sidekick/best friend/soulmate Gabrielle promised to take her body back there and, ultimately, to be buried there herself. Looks like Gabby kept her promise
ramonmercado
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Threads merged.
Xena and Gabrielle are merely sleeping; they will awaken and emasculate the jihadis'.
Xena and Gabrielle are merely sleeping; they will awaken and emasculate the jihadis'.
ramonmercado
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The ancient Greeks in Ukraine
By using aerial photographs and geophysical surveys, Warsaw archaeologists not only confirmed the location of settlement dating back more than two thousand years in Respublikaniec (Kherson Oblast), but also discovered previously unknown structures in its area - scientists from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw summarised their research in Ukraine.
"In addition to non-invasive research, we also began regular excavations - said Marcin Matera from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, Polish coordinator of the project. - As a result we obtained archaeological material clarifying the position dating". The initiator of the cooperation of archaeologists from Poland and Ukraine is Dr. Nadezda Gavryljuk, and head of research from the Ukrainian side - Dmytro Nykonenko.
Archaeologists determined that the settlement was probably founded in the 2nd century BC. Researchers also discovered the exact outline of its fortifications - defensive walls and ditches. In addition to defensive functions, the place also served as a venue of trade between residents of the Dnieper steppes and the ancient world, represented by the nearby Greek colony - Olbia. The settlement could also have played a role in securing the waterway up the Dnieper.
"Our research focused on preparing archaeological documentation of the settlement and attempting to find traces of the ancient Greeks, here deep in the barbarian steppe" - added Dr. Matera. Aerial photos taken using a kite and GPS measurements allowed the archaeologists to quickly and precisely prepare the site plan. In turn, geophysical surveys allowed to discover a number of magnetic anomalies and resistance fluctuations within the settlement, which may indicate the existence of infrastructure elements below the surface. Next year, the archaeologists intend to carry out excavations in the most promising areas detected by this technology.
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news,407262,the-ancient-greeks-in-ukraine.html
By using aerial photographs and geophysical surveys, Warsaw archaeologists not only confirmed the location of settlement dating back more than two thousand years in Respublikaniec (Kherson Oblast), but also discovered previously unknown structures in its area - scientists from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw summarised their research in Ukraine.
"In addition to non-invasive research, we also began regular excavations - said Marcin Matera from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, Polish coordinator of the project. - As a result we obtained archaeological material clarifying the position dating". The initiator of the cooperation of archaeologists from Poland and Ukraine is Dr. Nadezda Gavryljuk, and head of research from the Ukrainian side - Dmytro Nykonenko.
Archaeologists determined that the settlement was probably founded in the 2nd century BC. Researchers also discovered the exact outline of its fortifications - defensive walls and ditches. In addition to defensive functions, the place also served as a venue of trade between residents of the Dnieper steppes and the ancient world, represented by the nearby Greek colony - Olbia. The settlement could also have played a role in securing the waterway up the Dnieper.
"Our research focused on preparing archaeological documentation of the settlement and attempting to find traces of the ancient Greeks, here deep in the barbarian steppe" - added Dr. Matera. Aerial photos taken using a kite and GPS measurements allowed the archaeologists to quickly and precisely prepare the site plan. In turn, geophysical surveys allowed to discover a number of magnetic anomalies and resistance fluctuations within the settlement, which may indicate the existence of infrastructure elements below the surface. Next year, the archaeologists intend to carry out excavations in the most promising areas detected by this technology.
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news,407262,the-ancient-greeks-in-ukraine.html
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The title of this article is somewhat misleading ... This site in Iraq has finally been explored, and it suggests considerable Greek influence in the century or two following Alexander the Great's passage through the area ...
FULL STORY: http://www.livescience.com/60545-lost-city-alexander-the-great-uncovered.html
FULL STORY: http://www.livescience.com/60545-lost-city-alexander-the-great-uncovered.html
ramonmercado
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Pottering about.
Potterymaking in ancient Greece was a male-dominated profession, but about 3000 years ago, one woman from the island of Crete broke the mold to become the only known female master ceramicist in antiquity. The finding, based on a lengthy biomechanical analysis of her skeletal remains, sheds light on the elevated roles played by women in at least some parts of the classical world.
The master potter, who lived to be about 45 or 50, was buried in the city of Eleutherna on the slopes of Mount Ida, the legendary birthplace of Zeus. Ornate pottery in nearby graves suggests she lived between 900 B.C.E. and 650 B.C.E., after the fall of the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations (depicted above) and toward the end of the so-called Greek Dark Ages.
On closer examination of her bones, archaeologists noticed some intriguing details: Compared with other women at the Orthi Petra burial site, she was unusually muscular, especially on the right side of her body. She had also worn out the cartilage in her knee and hip joints, which would have made moving a painful, bone-scraping affair.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018...ly_2018-09-07&et_rid=394299689&et_cid=2356396
Potterymaking in ancient Greece was a male-dominated profession, but about 3000 years ago, one woman from the island of Crete broke the mold to become the only known female master ceramicist in antiquity. The finding, based on a lengthy biomechanical analysis of her skeletal remains, sheds light on the elevated roles played by women in at least some parts of the classical world.
The master potter, who lived to be about 45 or 50, was buried in the city of Eleutherna on the slopes of Mount Ida, the legendary birthplace of Zeus. Ornate pottery in nearby graves suggests she lived between 900 B.C.E. and 650 B.C.E., after the fall of the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations (depicted above) and toward the end of the so-called Greek Dark Ages.
On closer examination of her bones, archaeologists noticed some intriguing details: Compared with other women at the Orthi Petra burial site, she was unusually muscular, especially on the right side of her body. She had also worn out the cartilage in her knee and hip joints, which would have made moving a painful, bone-scraping affair.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018...ly_2018-09-07&et_rid=394299689&et_cid=2356396
ramonmercado
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As holes are dug in the ground, a few holes in the prehistorical record are filled in.
Archaeologists have discovered two royal tombs in Greece containing jewellery and artefacts dating back more than 3,000 years.
The finds include a gold ring depicting bulls flanked by sheaves of barley and a pendant showing an Egyptian goddess. The US researchers say their discovery will provide new clues about early Mycenaean trade and culture. The tombs are near the Bronze Age palace of Pylos, in Greece's southern Peloponnese region. They are not far from another important grave discovered in 2015, believed to be that of an early ruler of the city.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50832843
Archaeologists have discovered two royal tombs in Greece containing jewellery and artefacts dating back more than 3,000 years.
The finds include a gold ring depicting bulls flanked by sheaves of barley and a pendant showing an Egyptian goddess. The US researchers say their discovery will provide new clues about early Mycenaean trade and culture. The tombs are near the Bronze Age palace of Pylos, in Greece's southern Peloponnese region. They are not far from another important grave discovered in 2015, believed to be that of an early ruler of the city.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50832843
ramonmercado
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Healing sanctuaries and ramps.
It is the birthplace of western philosophy and politics. Now it has emerged that ancient Greece also had the first building regulations, creating disabled access to public venues.
The ramps at healing sanctuaries and other buildings are, a researcher suggests, the earliest evidence of ancient societies adapting their architecture for disabled people. It may lead to a reassessment of the Greeks, whose philosophers have supported eugenics and allowing disabled people to die.
According to a paper to be published in Antiquity, temples and other buildings were being built with disability access as early as the 4th century BC.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/ancient-greeks-had-first-ramps-for-disabled-h6n82f3tf
It is the birthplace of western philosophy and politics. Now it has emerged that ancient Greece also had the first building regulations, creating disabled access to public venues.
The ramps at healing sanctuaries and other buildings are, a researcher suggests, the earliest evidence of ancient societies adapting their architecture for disabled people. It may lead to a reassessment of the Greeks, whose philosophers have supported eugenics and allowing disabled people to die.
According to a paper to be published in Antiquity, temples and other buildings were being built with disability access as early as the 4th century BC.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/ancient-greeks-had-first-ramps-for-disabled-h6n82f3tf
ramonmercado
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Be interesting to se what else is found in the area.
A bust of the ancient god Hermes, in good condition, has been discovered in central Athens during sewage work.
The Greek Culture Ministry said that the head, one of many that served as street markers in ancient Athens, appears to be from around 300 BC — that is, either from the late fourth century BC or the early third century. It depicts Hermes at “a mature age”, the ministry said, in contrast to his usual depictions as youthful. The head is in the style of Greek sculptor Alcamenes, who flourished in the second half of fifth century BC, the ministry said. After serving as a street marker, the head, at some point, had been built into the wall of a drainage duct, the ministry said.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40083032.html
A bust of the ancient god Hermes, in good condition, has been discovered in central Athens during sewage work.
The Greek Culture Ministry said that the head, one of many that served as street markers in ancient Athens, appears to be from around 300 BC — that is, either from the late fourth century BC or the early third century. It depicts Hermes at “a mature age”, the ministry said, in contrast to his usual depictions as youthful. The head is in the style of Greek sculptor Alcamenes, who flourished in the second half of fifth century BC, the ministry said. After serving as a street marker, the head, at some point, had been built into the wall of a drainage duct, the ministry said.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40083032.html
Mikefule
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This a video from a channel that I follow: Scholagladiatoria. The chap who runs it is an antique arms dealer and also a practising historical European martial arts enthusiast. He knows his stuff, and he does videos about weapons, armour, and sometimes tactics, with a strong emphasis on historical context.
Specifically, I'm linking it here because of some of the actual Greek bronze helmets shown. If you don't watch the whole video, it's worth freeze framing at 13:14 to see rack after rack of surviving bronze helmets in quite good condition.
Bronze does not corrode as easily as iron or steel, and as a result we actually have more archaeological finds of surviving pieces of bronze armour and weaponry from the ancient era than we have of mediaeval steel armour. (Of course, there is plenty of mediaeval armour that has been deliberately preserved, but very little is found and dug up in recognisable condition.)
maximus otter
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Ancient Athenians Used a Jar Filled With Chicken Bones to Curse Their Enemies
Today, chickens are perhaps most often associated with comfort foods like soup and roast dinners. In ancient Athens, however, the owners of a 2,300-year-old ceramic jar containing the remains of a dismembered chicken appear to have used the animal for something far more sinister: a ritual designed to paralyze and kill upward of 55 people.“This was meant to be a powerful curse,” [said] Jessica Lamont, a classics scholar at Yale University.
Researchers discovered the artifact near the Athenian Agora’s Classical Commercial Building—a public space used by the Greek city-state’s ancient artisans—in 2006. When Lamont analyzed the jar, she found that it contained a coin, a large nail, and the head and lower limbs of a young chicken.
/https://public-media.si-cdn.com/filer/b2/d1/b2d114ca-1d66-4722-a1c1-7c144c6cc491/fdasfsdf.jpg)
“All exterior surfaces of the [jar] were originally covered with text; it once carried over 55 inscribed names, dozens of which now survive only as scattered, floating letters or faint stylus strokes.”
Some of the etchings form characters that may translate to “we bind.”
The nail and chicken remains worked in tandem with the writing to enact the curse. The bird was no older than 7 months when it died—probably because the curse’s creators wanted to convey the animal’s “helplessness and inability to protect itself” to their intended victims, according to the study.
Lamont adds that nails “had an inhibiting force and symbolically immobilized or restrained the faculties of [the curse’s] victims.”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...h-2300-year-old-cursed-chicken-jar-180977938/
maximus otter
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I believe they still use chickens in rituals in Dugu, Voodoo, Santeria etcAncient Athenians Used a Jar Filled With Chicken Bones to Curse Their Enemies
Today, chickens are perhaps most often associated with comfort foods like soup and roast dinners. In ancient Athens, however, the owners of a 2,300-year-old ceramic jar containing the remains of a dismembered chicken appear to have used the animal for something far more sinister: a ritual designed to paralyze and kill upward of 55 people.
“This was meant to be a powerful curse,” [said] Jessica Lamont, a classics scholar at Yale University.
Researchers discovered the artifact near the Athenian Agora’s Classical Commercial Building—a public space used by the Greek city-state’s ancient artisans—in 2006. When Lamont analyzed the jar, she found that it contained a coin, a large nail, and the head and lower limbs of a young chicken.
“All exterior surfaces of the [jar] were originally covered with text; it once carried over 55 inscribed names, dozens of which now survive only as scattered, floating letters or faint stylus strokes.”
Some of the etchings form characters that may translate to “we bind.”
The nail and chicken remains worked in tandem with the writing to enact the curse. The bird was no older than 7 months when it died—probably because the curse’s creators wanted to convey the animal’s “helplessness and inability to protect itself” to their intended victims, according to the study.
Lamont adds that nails “had an inhibiting force and symbolically immobilized or restrained the faculties of [the curse’s] victims.”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...h-2300-year-old-cursed-chicken-jar-180977938/
maximus otter
ramonmercado
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- Eblana
Even the Ancient Greeks had their Blackwater and Wagner Group mercenaries.
Nearly 2500 years ago, two armies clashed outside the walls of Himera, a Greek colony on the northern coast of Sicily. Greek forces from Himera and the neighboring colonies of Agrigento and Syracuse battled their great rivals, the Carthaginians, who hailed from the African coast of the Mediterranean. Fighting raged across the city’s western necropolis, fallen warriors toppling among the tombs.
Though little-known today, ancient authors portrayed the 480 B.C.E. battle as an example of what made Greek culture great. According to Greek historians such as Diodorus Siculus and Herodotus, Greeks from various Sicilian cities united to help Himera fend off the Carthaginian invaders, sending heavily armed citizen soldiers into the fray. “There followed a great slaughter of the enemy,” Diodorus wrote more than 300 years later.
But in 409 B.C.E., the Carthaginians returned—and this time no one came to Himera’s aid. Neighboring Syracuse kept its troops close to home to ward off Carthaginian threats from the sea. Carthage’s forces won, leaving the city in ruins.
Ancient authors appear to have gotten the broad outlines of both battles right—with one glaring exception, according to a new study. DNA, chemical, and archaeological analyses of 30 skeletons excavated from mass graves in the necropolises of Himera, where the remains of nearly 13,000 people have been excavated since the early 1990s as part of a long-term research project, suggest the ancient Greeks may have had some help from outside mercenaries. ...
https://www.science.org/content/article/mercenaries-may-have-helped-ancient-greeks-turn-tide-war
Nearly 2500 years ago, two armies clashed outside the walls of Himera, a Greek colony on the northern coast of Sicily. Greek forces from Himera and the neighboring colonies of Agrigento and Syracuse battled their great rivals, the Carthaginians, who hailed from the African coast of the Mediterranean. Fighting raged across the city’s western necropolis, fallen warriors toppling among the tombs.
Though little-known today, ancient authors portrayed the 480 B.C.E. battle as an example of what made Greek culture great. According to Greek historians such as Diodorus Siculus and Herodotus, Greeks from various Sicilian cities united to help Himera fend off the Carthaginian invaders, sending heavily armed citizen soldiers into the fray. “There followed a great slaughter of the enemy,” Diodorus wrote more than 300 years later.
But in 409 B.C.E., the Carthaginians returned—and this time no one came to Himera’s aid. Neighboring Syracuse kept its troops close to home to ward off Carthaginian threats from the sea. Carthage’s forces won, leaving the city in ruins.
Ancient authors appear to have gotten the broad outlines of both battles right—with one glaring exception, according to a new study. DNA, chemical, and archaeological analyses of 30 skeletons excavated from mass graves in the necropolises of Himera, where the remains of nearly 13,000 people have been excavated since the early 1990s as part of a long-term research project, suggest the ancient Greeks may have had some help from outside mercenaries. ...
https://www.science.org/content/article/mercenaries-may-have-helped-ancient-greeks-turn-tide-war
maximus otter
Recovering policeman
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2001
- Messages
- 15,325
An archeologist's quest to find seafood's place on the ancient Mediterranean menu
On the eastern end of the Greek island of Crete, archaeologist Dimitra Mylona steps out onto the dun-colored remains of the 3,500-year-old Minoan settlement of Palaikastro and considers the past.
Mylona is a zooarchaeologist—a specialist in the study of animal remains of ancient societies. Through the close observation of bones, shells, and other finds, zooarchaeologists try to re-create a picture of the way humans hunted, husbanded, ate, and more generally interacted with the animals around them. Traditionally, zooarchaeologists in the Mediterranean have focused on goat and sheep and other forms of terrestrial protein as the go-to meat sources for Greece and other Mediterranean countries. Back in 1991, as a new graduate student, Mylona thought no differently, imagining herself picking through the remains of livestock. But during one of her first digs, in the same Palaikastro she now surveys, the presence of an entirely different find captivated her—fish bones.
The search for a fishier ancient world, Mylona thought, might be the way forward for her academic career.
Setting out to the University of Sheffield in England in the early 1990s for graduate work, Mylona immediately felt resistance to her newfound focus. Her graduate supervisor advised her against committing to a fish bone master’s degree, instead urging her to specialize in the analysis of mammal bones. Fish bones were a dead end, he maintained.
“In order to know what you are looking at, you need first to establish a reference collection,” she says as she pulls out box after box of bones lining her office shelves. A reference collection is a kind of archive of skeletons that allows zooarchaeologists to compare excavated remains with the bones of present-day creatures. “In Greece in 1993, there was not a single reference collection for fish bones—none whatsoever,” Mylona says. “Zooarchaeology is not taught in Greek universities, so there are no university collections of fish skeletons.”
During what was the busiest decade of her life, she made regular trips to the central fish market in Crete’s second-largest city, Chania on the northwest coast, and to moored fishing boats wherever she found them. She bought all the species of fish she could locate. Then she buried them around her home in the north-central Cretan coastal town of Rethymno. After digging them up months later once bugs and microorganisms had eaten away skin and flesh, Mylona scoured, cleaned, and filed away the fish bones like books in a library. When she deemed her collection big enough, she returned to the bones gathered during her first digs and got down to the serious business of seeing what was what.
Despite the difficulty, Mylona has been persistent. And the result of all this tedious work was revelatory. At Palaikastro, where fish bones first entered her vision, the four large fish bones that were handpicked in one of SCEC’s buildings were complemented by 4,000 more when water flotation took place.
When Greek archaeologists applied the same methodology to coastal sites in the Aegean and even in many inland locations, fish bones were uncovered by the hundreds or thousands in nearly every location. Fish were clearly an important part of the ancient Greek diet: a vast underestimation of the importance of the sea as a source of food had taken place.
https://www.popsci.com/science/mediterranean-diet-fish/
maximus otter
On the eastern end of the Greek island of Crete, archaeologist Dimitra Mylona steps out onto the dun-colored remains of the 3,500-year-old Minoan settlement of Palaikastro and considers the past.
Mylona is a zooarchaeologist—a specialist in the study of animal remains of ancient societies. Through the close observation of bones, shells, and other finds, zooarchaeologists try to re-create a picture of the way humans hunted, husbanded, ate, and more generally interacted with the animals around them. Traditionally, zooarchaeologists in the Mediterranean have focused on goat and sheep and other forms of terrestrial protein as the go-to meat sources for Greece and other Mediterranean countries. Back in 1991, as a new graduate student, Mylona thought no differently, imagining herself picking through the remains of livestock. But during one of her first digs, in the same Palaikastro she now surveys, the presence of an entirely different find captivated her—fish bones.
The search for a fishier ancient world, Mylona thought, might be the way forward for her academic career.
Setting out to the University of Sheffield in England in the early 1990s for graduate work, Mylona immediately felt resistance to her newfound focus. Her graduate supervisor advised her against committing to a fish bone master’s degree, instead urging her to specialize in the analysis of mammal bones. Fish bones were a dead end, he maintained.
“In order to know what you are looking at, you need first to establish a reference collection,” she says as she pulls out box after box of bones lining her office shelves. A reference collection is a kind of archive of skeletons that allows zooarchaeologists to compare excavated remains with the bones of present-day creatures. “In Greece in 1993, there was not a single reference collection for fish bones—none whatsoever,” Mylona says. “Zooarchaeology is not taught in Greek universities, so there are no university collections of fish skeletons.”
During what was the busiest decade of her life, she made regular trips to the central fish market in Crete’s second-largest city, Chania on the northwest coast, and to moored fishing boats wherever she found them. She bought all the species of fish she could locate. Then she buried them around her home in the north-central Cretan coastal town of Rethymno. After digging them up months later once bugs and microorganisms had eaten away skin and flesh, Mylona scoured, cleaned, and filed away the fish bones like books in a library. When she deemed her collection big enough, she returned to the bones gathered during her first digs and got down to the serious business of seeing what was what.
Despite the difficulty, Mylona has been persistent. And the result of all this tedious work was revelatory. At Palaikastro, where fish bones first entered her vision, the four large fish bones that were handpicked in one of SCEC’s buildings were complemented by 4,000 more when water flotation took place.
When Greek archaeologists applied the same methodology to coastal sites in the Aegean and even in many inland locations, fish bones were uncovered by the hundreds or thousands in nearly every location. Fish were clearly an important part of the ancient Greek diet: a vast underestimation of the importance of the sea as a source of food had taken place.
https://www.popsci.com/science/mediterranean-diet-fish/
maximus otter
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2003
- Messages
- 59,970
- Location
- Eblana
Figurines found.
Archaeologists excavating a hilltop sanctuary on the Aegean Sea island of Kythnos have discovered “countless” pottery offerings left by ancient worshippers over the centuries, Greece’s culture ministry said on Wednesday.
A ministry statement said the finds from work this year included more than 2,000 intact or almost complete clay figurines, mostly of women and children but also some of male actors, as well as of tortoises, lions, pigs and birds.
Several ceremonial pottery vessels that were unearthed are linked with the worship of Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, and her daughter, Persephone, to whom the excavated sanctuary complex was dedicated.
The seaside site of Vryokastro on Kythnos was the ancient capital of the island, inhabited without break between the 12th century BC and the 7th century AD, when it was abandoned for a stronger position during a period of pirate raids.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/a...re-offerings-left-by-worshippers-1486194.html
Archaeologists excavating a hilltop sanctuary on the Aegean Sea island of Kythnos have discovered “countless” pottery offerings left by ancient worshippers over the centuries, Greece’s culture ministry said on Wednesday.
A ministry statement said the finds from work this year included more than 2,000 intact or almost complete clay figurines, mostly of women and children but also some of male actors, as well as of tortoises, lions, pigs and birds.
Several ceremonial pottery vessels that were unearthed are linked with the worship of Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, and her daughter, Persephone, to whom the excavated sanctuary complex was dedicated.
The seaside site of Vryokastro on Kythnos was the ancient capital of the island, inhabited without break between the 12th century BC and the 7th century AD, when it was abandoned for a stronger position during a period of pirate raids.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/a...re-offerings-left-by-worshippers-1486194.html
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2003
- Messages
- 59,970
- Location
- Eblana
Effective armour.
Body armor from the Bronze Age was strong enough to protect a Mycenaean soldier in battle 3,500 years ago, according to a new study that had 13 soldiers fight in a replica of it for 11 hours.
Researchers took a suit of armor found in 1960 by archaeologists in Dendra, a village located near what was once the ancient Greek city of Mycenae, and recruited 13 soldiers from the marines of the Hellenic Armed Forces to test the artifact's mettle, according to a study published Wednesday (May 22) in the journal PLOS One.
For decades, archaeologists have grappled with whether the armor, which includes a boar's tusk helmet and a suit consisting of bronze plates, was hardy enough for combat.
"Since its discovery, the question has remained as to whether the armor was purely for ceremonial purposes, or for use in battle," lead study author Andreas Flouris, a professor of physiology at the University of Thessaly in Greece, and his colleagues told Live Science in an email. "The Dendra armor is considered one of the oldest complete suits of armor from the European Bronze Age."
To find out, researchers equipped volunteers with replicas of the armor and weapons, including spears and stones, and had them complete an 11-hour simulation of Bronze Age warfare based off of historical accounts plucked from the pages of the Greek poet Homer's famous work "The Iliad," an epic account of roughly the last 50 days of the Trojan War. ...
https://www.livescience.com/archaeo...-battle-simulation-inspired-by-the-trojan-war
Body armor from the Bronze Age was strong enough to protect a Mycenaean soldier in battle 3,500 years ago, according to a new study that had 13 soldiers fight in a replica of it for 11 hours.
Researchers took a suit of armor found in 1960 by archaeologists in Dendra, a village located near what was once the ancient Greek city of Mycenae, and recruited 13 soldiers from the marines of the Hellenic Armed Forces to test the artifact's mettle, according to a study published Wednesday (May 22) in the journal PLOS One.
For decades, archaeologists have grappled with whether the armor, which includes a boar's tusk helmet and a suit consisting of bronze plates, was hardy enough for combat.
"Since its discovery, the question has remained as to whether the armor was purely for ceremonial purposes, or for use in battle," lead study author Andreas Flouris, a professor of physiology at the University of Thessaly in Greece, and his colleagues told Live Science in an email. "The Dendra armor is considered one of the oldest complete suits of armor from the European Bronze Age."
To find out, researchers equipped volunteers with replicas of the armor and weapons, including spears and stones, and had them complete an 11-hour simulation of Bronze Age warfare based off of historical accounts plucked from the pages of the Greek poet Homer's famous work "The Iliad," an epic account of roughly the last 50 days of the Trojan War. ...
https://www.livescience.com/archaeo...-battle-simulation-inspired-by-the-trojan-war