On A Greek Island, Archeologists Uncovered A 2,700-Year-Old Temple Filled With Rich Offerings
Travelers, archaeologists, architect enthusiasts, and history lovers alike are often attracted to the ruins of ancient structures and monuments from bygone eras. Humans have been building sacred sites for thousands of years.
Luckily, many of those constructions have stood the test of time and still exist today. They are just waiting to be excavated. Recently, a team of researchers has made a magnificent discovery that will appeal to any adventurous spirit out there.
On the Greek island of Evia, which is the second largest island in the country, archaeologists uncovered a 2,700-year-old temple filled with rich offerings.
The ancient temple is 100 feet long with exterior walls and an arch on its west side. It was located next to the Temple of Amarysia Artemis, which was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis.
The newly discovered temple is notable for the significant number of structures it contains. These structures included several hearths that were most likely used as altars. A horseshoe-shaped altar caked in a thick layer of ash was the most unique of the designs. It even showed evidence of pieces of charred bone.
The findings didn’t stop there. The altar was stacked with various offerings, such as Corinthian alabaster, ritual jugs, vases, and pottery. The researchers also uncovered treasures of value like gold, silver, coral, and amber jewelry, as well as bronze and iron fittings.
Some of the pottery pieces present at the altar were older than the actual temple, dating back to the late eighth century B.C. This led the team to believe that the altar may have once been kept outside the temple and was later moved indoors.
The temple was built of rough bricks and featured pillars along its inner wall that held up a tiled roof. Due to the temple’s foundation of dry stone, the ground appeared to have been swampy at the time of its construction.
Brick partitions made sometime in the sixth century were placed at the heart of the sanctuary for extra support. Because of this, the researchers concluded that a fire had likely destroyed part of the temple.
costas1962 – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Beneath some of the oldest sections of the temple, the archaeologists found bronze figurines representing bulls and a ram.
They also unearthed the remains of buildings from the eighth and ninth centuries B.C., along with a fortification system dating back to the Early Copper Age, showing that the site has a deeper history than the temple itself.
In ancient Greece, temples were a huge part of the culture. They were frequently used to honor and worship the deities of their religion. They were often decorated with beautiful statues and artwork to demonstrate their respect for their higher powers.
Overall, the most recent finds are important to our understanding of the religious practices and lifestyles of one of humanity’s earliest complex societies and civilizations.
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