2023-04-16 11:38:05
AArchaeologists have discovered numerous terracotta figures during excavations in southern Italy, which provide insights into religious life in the ancient city. In addition to seven bull heads, several miniature temples and altars, representations of the Greek god of love Eros riding on a dolphin were also found in the archaeological parks of Paestum and Velia in the Italian province of Salerno. They are “small masterpieces of craftsmanship,” said a statement from the Archeology Park on Saturday evening.
The finds were made in a small temple that archaeologists discovered in 2019 and dates from the first decades of the 5th century BC. The discoveries would shed “a very interesting light on ancient religious life,” said the director general of the State Museums, Massimo Osanna. Thus, in addition to the figures and other decorative elements, a stone slab with a kind of gutter was excavated in which – in front of the altar of the temple – liquids such as the blood of sacrificed animals could be collected during religious rites, as the director of the park, Tiziana D’ Angelo explained.
Eros rides a dolphin. Terracotta figure discovered in Paestum.
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Image: dpa
Paestum was founded by the Greeks under the name of Poseidonia around 600 BC and later fell into the hands of the Romans. The ruins, located around 100 kilometers south-east of Naples, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage and are famous for their well-preserved temples from the Greek era. “The discovery of hundreds of votive offerings, statues and altars in the small temple of Paestum confirms the extraordinary value of this site,” said Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano.
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