A rich trove of historical artifacts were discovered in a temple by archaeologists working at the ancient Greek city of Paestum in southern Italy, which was originally called Poseidonia after the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon.
Paestum contains three of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in the world, including the two Hera Temples above. Credit: Oliver-Bonjoch , CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikipedia
A statue of the Greek deity of love, Eros, as well as bullheads and dolphin statues made of clay are among the treasures.
The director of the Paestum archaeological site, Tiziana D'Angelo, told ANSA that the dig would "change the recorded history of ancient Poseidonia".
This is the most important discovery at the location, according to her, and it has exposed a hitherto hidden set of religious customs that date back to the fifth century BC.
Having only been found in 2019, the temple where the finds were unearthed is also a recent find. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled archaeologists to stop their digs.
A terracotta figurine of Eros riding a dolphin. Credit: Paestum Velia Archeological Park
The newly discovered temple is a 15.6 by 7.5 meter building with four columns up front and seven on either side. Although it belongs to the Doric order, the simplicity of its forms sets it apart.
Due to the discovery of bullheads near a temple altar, archaeologists now think that animal sacrifice was a part of the city's religion.
The bull was frequently employed to represent the Minotaur and, as is probably the case in the case of this temple, the Greek god Zeus.
Paestum, an ancient Greek city, and its temples
By about 275 B.C., the Romans had taken possession of the city, which they renamed Paestum from the Greek "Poseidonia," in what was formerly Magna Graecia.
It flourished for several centuries, just like so many other Greek colonies throughout the Mediterranean region. Its residents continued to speak Greek and practice Greek culture even after it was incorporated into the Roman Empire.
Three Doric order Greek temples from the ancient world, dated from roughly 600 to 450 BC, are what make the Paestum ruin complex noteworthy.
A couple of the temples are the 500 BC-old Temple of Athena and the 560–520 BC–old Temple of Hera. On the other hand, the Temple of Neptune wasn't finished until 460 BC.
The majority of the city walls and amphitheater are still standing, along with numerous additional buildings' bottom walls and paved pathways.
A young man jumping into an uncharted sea is seen in a fresco on the lid of a tomb at Paestum, which is about 60 miles (95 km) from modern-day Naples.
One of the greatest works of ancient art is a painting that depicts the deceased man within the tomb as a diver, his body arcing gracefully toward the water.
It is said to be the sole complete example of Greek painting with figured subjects from the early Archaic or Classical period that was produced around 470 BC.
