Connect with us

Archaeology

Marble statue depicting a nymph uncovered at Amasra

Published

on

According to an announcement by the T.C. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, archaeologists have uncovered an ornate statue during excavations at Amasra, Turkey.

Amasra, originally known as Sesamus, derives its name from Amastris, a Persian princess and Tyrant-ruler of Heraclea. Amasra is first mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, and by Strabo the Greek historian, who places the city on a small river of the same name and occupying a peninsula.

Excavations conducted under the direction of Amasra Museum Director, Zübeyde Kuru, have uncovered a statue from the 2nd century AD during the Roman period.

The statue was found at a depth of 3 metres below ground level and measures approximately 1.5 metres in height. Made from marble, the statue depicts a half-naked female figure wearing a cloak over the lower regions, resting on an urn placed on a plinth.

According to the researchers, the statue likely depicts a nymph from Greek mythology, a minor female deity regarded as a personification of nature.

Nymphs were immortal like other goddesses (except for the Hamadryads) and are categorised into several subgroups, including the Meliae, associated with ash trees; Dryads, connected to oak trees; Naiads, found in freshwater settings; Nereids, inhabiting the seas; and Oreads, dwelling in mountainous regions.

Nymphs are often featured in classic works of art, literature, mythology, and fiction, with the Romans mainly associating them as divinities venerated of the water element.

In a statement on the social account of the Excavations and Research Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Zübeyde Kuru, said: “During our Bartın, Amasra, Gymnasium excavations, a 1.53 metre high statue dating back to the 2nd century AD, thought to be a Nymph, was unearthed.”

Header Image Credit : Directorate of Excavations and Research

Continue Reading

Archaeology

Maya tomb with funerary offerings found during hotel construction

Published

on

By

A tomb with funerary offerings has been uncovered during the construction of the Tren Maya Hotel, in Palenque, Mexico.

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) conducted rescue excavations following the discovery, revealing skeletal remains associated with the Maya city of Palenque.

Palenque, also known as Lakamha in the Itza Language (meaning “Flat-Place-River”), is located near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

The city dates from 226 BC to AD 799, with most of the major construction works representing a rebuilding effort in response to attacks by the city of Calakmul and its client states in AD 599 and AD 611.

The population declined during the 8th century AD, instead becoming an agricultural population that led to the abandonment of the city zone. By 1520 following the Spanish conquest, contemporary Spanish accounts record the entire region being sparsely populated.

Excavations uncovered a stone lined funerary space sealed with limestone slabs, in which the researchers found the remains of a high-status individual who likely lived in the periphery of Palenque in a small settlement.

The burial is located at a depth of four metres, and also contained ceramic vessels and beads deposited as funerary offerings.

“The individual was placed face up with his legs extended and his head facing north,” said Diego Prieto Hernández from INAH.

The discovery was announced in a press conference reporting on the progress of the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza) in Palenque, Moral-Reforma and El Tigre, the three heritage sites that are served within Section 1 of the Mayan Train Project.

INAH

Header Image Credit : INAH

Continue Reading

Archaeology

Archaeologists unearth possible birthplace of King Henry VII at Pembroke Castle

Published

on

By

Archaeologists from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust may have discovered the possible birthplace of King Henry VII at Pembroke Castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Pembroke Castle was founded during the 11th century by Roger de Montgomerie, the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

In 1452, Jasper Tudor was presented both the castle and the earldom by his half-brother, King Henry VI. In 1457, Henry VII was born at the castle, the only child of Lady Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond.

Following Edward IV’s ascension to the throne in 1471, Henry VII endured 14 years of exile in Brittany. He eventually claimed the throne after his forces, with backing from France, Scotland, and Wales, emerged victorious over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, marking the climax of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VII’s reign is credited with many administrative, economic, and tax reforms, having ruled for nearly 24 years until his death in 1509 at the age of 52. Henry VII was succeed by his second son, Henry, Duke of York, who ascended to the crown as Henry VIII.

Historians have long assumed that a 13th century tower on the outer ward (known today as Henry VII Tower) was the birth place of Henry VII. However, a recent study by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust has uncovered evidence of a late-medieval winged hall-house, broadly dating to the 15th century.

The walls of the structure extend to around 25 metres, with comparisons being drawn to medieval buildings found in England and East Wales, such as Penallt Mansion in Kidwelly. Historically, Pembroke Castle was situated in the English-speaking portion of Pembrokeshire, often referred to as “Little England beyond Wales.”

Speaking to the Western Telegraph, Neil Ludlow, a consultant to Pembroke Castle, said: “All our indications are pointing to a late-medieval building which was clearly of high status within Pembrokeshire, and it looks as if it was at least two-storeys, which possibly makes it a better candidate for the birthplace of a king rather that the tower that currently bears his name.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Generated by Feedzy