DH Latest NewsLatest NewsNEWSInternationalSpecial

Agate masterpiece aged more than 3000 BC discovered from a warrior’s grave

Strong warriors were filthy rich during the ancient times who often were hired by Emperors and their generals in pursuit of expansion of empires. The fabled tale of the Greek warrior Achilles and the conquests of the powerful Mediterranean hero Samson with the strength of 1000 elephants all had a mythical touch to it, but they all lived a life of luxury demanding respect even from the kings of their times.

Archaeologists from the University of Cincinnati stumbled upon the grave of such a warrior from the bronze ages -which they named for reference, as the Griffin warrior. Little did they know that the grave was a treasure trove of rare gems and historically significant art masterpieces.

The grave was found at Pylos, Greece and the archaeologists discovered more than 2000 rare artifacts from the grave. In addition to the ivory plaque bearing the half-lion, half-eagle mythical beasts that gave the warrior his name, they found gold rings, bronze weapons, ivory combs, bronze mirrors, and semi-previous seal stones. The tiny gem, known as the Pylos Combat Agate, is decorated with some of the finest carving and most evocative imagery ever seen on a seal stone from the ancient Mediterranean world.

images courtesy Jeff Vanderpool, Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati)
images courtesy Jeff Vanderpool, Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati)
images courtesy Jeff Vanderpool,(Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati)

 

shortlink

Post Your Comments


Back to top button