Archaeology
Ancient Greek helmet found at Elea-Velia
Archaeologists excavating at the acropolis of Elea-Velia have uncovered a well-preserved Ancient Greek helmet.
Elea-Velia, also known as Hyele, was founded by Greeks around 538–535 BC on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the present-day province of Salerno, Italy.
The city was known as a centre of philosophy and learning, which was home to Parmenides and Zeno of Elea, both prominent figures in the Eleatic school to which they belonged.
Archaeologists have been conducting excavations at the acropolis of Elea-Velia, where in 2022 a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Athena was uncovered. Athena was an Ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, often depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear.
The sanctuary was built following the Battle of Alalia, a conflict between Greeks and the allied Etruscans and Carthaginians between 540 BC and 535 BC.
Excavations within the sanctuary have revealed a well-preserved Ancient Greek helmet, the third such example discovered at Elea-Velia. According to the researchers, the helmet was likely deposited as an offering to Athena following a battle or during period of conflict.
The researchers also found the remains of a painted brick wall, possibly an early form of the sanctuary, and polygonal blocks, a feature of ancient Greek architecture found at important sites such as Delphi.
According to the researchers, another notable find is the discovery of ceramics inscribed with the word “sacred”, further indicating the importance of the site.
In a press statement, the Culture Minister told the press that the discoveries Greek helmet and inscription underscored the importance of investing in archaeological research to reveal “important pieces of the history of the Mediterranean.”
Header Image Credit : Italian Ministry of Culture
Archaeologists from the University of Warwick are conducting an underwater study to document the submerged Mesolithic site of Bouldnor Cliff before it vanishes due to erosion.
Bouldnor Cliff is situated in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and the southern coast of England. The site was first discovered in 1999 when divers observed a lobster discarding worked flint tools from its burrow on the seabed.
At a time when Britain was cut off from mainland Europe by rising sea levels, the area of the Solent was a river valley inhabited by an advanced Mesolithic community who developed a boat building technology 2,000 years ahead of their time.
The study aims to find new data on the nature of the late Ice Age environment during the development of the Mesolithic era, and the extent of the interaction between the inhabitants of Bouldnor Cliff and Europe, including the exchange of materials.
Professor Robin Allaby, who is leading the expedition, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to understand the lost world in which the Mesolithic developed using the latest techniques before our chance is gone.”
The study will involve a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental analysis, in addition to state-of-the-art techniques such as optical simulated luminescence for constructing ecological profiles. Furthermore, archaeologists intend to recover archaeological artefacts and environmental markers to reconstruct the past environment.
Dr Kinnaird adds: “This is an exciting research project to showcase the new innovations in luminescence dating, which can tell when an object was last exposed to the Sun. The relevance of this technique in writing the narratives for 4000 years of history, at the time that the British coastline was rapidly changing, is huge!”
According to the researchers, these discoveries carry the potential to significantly transform our comprehension of the era when Britain emerged as an island.
Header Image Credit : University of Warwick
Sources : University of Warwick
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of the “Excalibur” sword found in Valencia has been revealed to have Islamic origins sometime during the 10th century AD.
Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain, founded under the name of Valentia Edetanorum by the Romans in 138 BC.
The city was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century AD, and was destroyed by Abd al-Rahman I of the Umayyad dynasty. Under Caliphate rule, the wider city area became known as Madînat al-Turâb (meaning “city of earth” or “sand”).
The sword was discovered back in 1994 in a house on Valencia’s Historiador Chabàs Street, where it was found standing upright in a grave beneath an Islamic era house.
Dubbed “Excalibur” due to the circumstances of its discovery, the sword is made from iron and has a hilt decorated with bronze plates. In mythology, Excalibur was the legendary sword of King Arthur and appears in various medieval poems describing Arthur pulling the sword from a stone.
However, the “Excalibur” from Valencia was found in a sedimentary strata from the 10th century AD and was likely the weapon of a cavalryman from the Andalusian Caliphate Era.
According to the archaeologists, the sword measures 46 centimetres in length and has a slightly curved blade towards the tip. Swords from this period are rarely found well-preserved due to the levels of oxygen and water in the soil that causes oxidation of the iron.
“It is the first Islamic sword that appears in the city of Valencia, with only one similar example being found during the excavations of Medina Azahara, the caliphal city of Abd al-Rahman III, in Córdoba,” said the Valencia City Council.
Header Image Credit : The Archaeology Service (SIAM) of the Valencia City Council
Sources : Valencia City Council
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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