Archaeologists have discovered artefacts dating back more than 2,000 years old from an ancient Greek city of Paestum on southern Italy’s Amalfi coast.
Terracotta bullheads and a statue of Eros, the Greek god of love and sex, riding a dolphin were discovered during the excavations.
According to Sky News, it’s the first trove of artifacts found from a sanctuary which dates from the 5 century BC. The ancient city, famous for its three massive Doric-columned temples which highlights many famous structures from Ancient Greece – such as the Parthenon in Athens, is situated near the archaeological site of Pompeii in southern Italy’s Campania region.
The small temple was first discovered in the year 2019 along the ancient city walls but excavations were halted due to pandemic, the report added citing the Italian Culture ministry.
According to the Italian culture ministry officials, these new findings would shine new light on what religious life was like in an ancient city.
The seven bulls heads found were placed around a temple altar in an apparent gesture of devotion, while the Eros statute appears to be from a family of ceramists called the Avilis, whose presence at Paestum had never been documented before.
The archaeologists hope to find more artefacts at the site, where limited excavations first began in the 1950s.
