29 May 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Ancient helmets, temple ruins found at a dig in Velia southern Italy

A discovery that “sheds new light on the history of the mighty Greek colony” by Velia.

Archaeologists in southern Italy have discovered ancient warrior helmets and the ruins of a painted brick wall at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, officials said Tuesday.

The ruins discovered at Velia, a major tourist destination in Italy, were discovered atop what had been an acropolis of one of Magna Graecia’s most prominent towns, according to Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. Velia is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Paestum, a well-known ancient Greek temple site.

Excavations by Francesco Scelza, which began last summer on top of what used to be the city’s acropolis, just below the still prominent remains of the temple dedicated to Athena, have unearthed the remains of a rectangular building of considerable size. (At 18 meters long and 7 wide, it dates back to the sixth century BC.)

Archaeologists in southern Italy they have discovered the ruins of a painted brick wall and ancient warrior helmets at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena
Archaeologists in southern Italy have discovered the ruins of a painted brick wall and ancient warrior helmets at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Photo: ANSA

In 540 BC, a major naval battle took place off the coast of Corsica between the Phokaians, the Greek colonists who settled in the Corsican city of Alalia, and the Etruscans, who were allied with the Carthaginians. In the conflict, the Greeks understood the situation better but were forced to abandon Alalia and flee to the south of Italy, where they founded Hyele and later renamed Elea (Velia for the Romans).

Velia is famed for being the home of an ancient Greek school of philosophy, including philosophers Parmenides and Zeno. It was part of Magna Graecia, the area of southern Italy colonized by Greek city-states. The settlement at Velia occupied an upper part, or acropolis, of the area as well as hillsides, and was surrounded by a wall.

Archaeologists in southern Italy have discovered the ruins of a painted brick wall at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena
Archaeologists in southern Italy have discovered the ruins of a painted brick wall at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Photo: ANSA

The recently completed excavation at Velia unearthed a pair of helmets in good condition, the remains of a building, vases with the Greek inscription for “sacred” and metal fragments of what possibly were weapons, the culture ministry said.

State Museums Director Massimo Osanna, who formerly had long directed excavations at Pompeii, Italy’s most celebrated excavated site, said the area explored at Velia probably contained relics of offerings made to Athena, the mythological Greek goddess of war and wisdom, after a key naval battle in the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea.

Banner
Related Post

A center on the Anatolian Mesopotamian trade route; Tavsanli Mound

24 October 2021

24 October 2021

Excavations at Tavşanlı mound, which is known to be the first settlement in Western Anatolia during the Bronze Age, continue....

Beheaded croc reveals ancient family secrets

10 March 2022

10 March 2022

A missing link in crocodilian evolution and a tragic tale of human-driven extinction. The partially fossilized remains of a giant...

Archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove of sixth-century coins in ancient Phanagoria in Russia

27 July 2021

27 July 2021

Archaeologists have discovered 80 coins known as Copper staters dating back to the sixth century at Phanagoria on the Black...

A Roman tomb where magical nails were used to fend off the ‘restless dead’ has been discovered in Türkiye

15 March 2023

15 March 2023

In the ancient city of Sagalassos in southwestern Türkiye, archaeologists have identified an unusual burial practice from the early Roman...

Unique Scythian glass pendants found in the Poltava region of Ukraine

8 October 2021

8 October 2021

Archaeologists have unearthed unique amphora-shaped pendants near the town of Kotelva in the Poltava oblast of central Ukraine. A team...

A cave complex with hieroglyphs and Varangian symbols discovered in center of Ukraine

19 November 2022

19 November 2022

An ancient cave complex thought to date from Kievan Rus’ has been discovered in central Kyiv at Voznesensky Uzvoz. Dmytro...

This Month in the “You Will See What You Don’t See” Project

11 February 2021

11 February 2021

Izmir Archeology Museum started to exhibit the unseen artifacts in its warehouses last month in the project that started under...

Archaeologists discover 1,300-year-old ski trapped in Norwegian ice

6 October 2021

6 October 2021

The melting of an ice sheet in Norway has uncovered a pair of remarkably well-preserved skis that had been undisturbed...

Jomon Ruins Adding to UNESCO World Heritage List

26 May 2021

26 May 2021

An international advisory panel has recommended that a group of ruins from the ancient Jomon period in northern Japan is...

The Big Universe Coming Out from the Dust “in Esna Temple”

7 February 2021

7 February 2021

While the Esna Temple has been waiting to renew and breathe again for a long time, it has recently experienced...

New Moai statue discovered on Easter Island

1 March 2023

1 March 2023

A new Moai statue has been discovered on Rapa Nui, a Chilean territory known as Easter Island. The sacred monument,...

A Little-Known Civilization in the Americas Built Pyramids as Old as Ancient Egypt

26 June 2022

26 June 2022

Considered the cradle of civilization in the Americas, the Sacred City of Caral-Supe is a 5000-year-old archaeological site, situated on...

Assyrian Art at Getty Villa

22 June 2021

22 June 2021

The Getty Villa in Malibu, California’s arts complex is showcasing superbly-restored gypsum reliefs from the Assyrian Empire’s palaces for its...

Archaeologists Unearthed Third Greatest Fire Temple Existing in Ancient Iran’s Sassanid Era

11 July 2022

11 July 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed ruins of what they believe to be the third-greatest fire temple in ancient Iran during the Sassanid...

Visit Baalbek’s Famous Temples with a Free 3d Virtual Tour

10 April 2021

10 April 2021

Baalbek, which has traces of settlement since 9000 BC, was one of the cornerstones of ancient civilizations. The famous Baalbek temple...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *