The Spartia temple is an
ancient Greek cult site excavated at the foot of the hill of
Spartia, north of the village of
Sesklo, in the
Magnesia regional unit. An inscribed dedication suggests the worship there of the
Greek mythological figures Heracles and
Alcmene.
During a rescue excavation alongside the railroad tracks,
archaeologists
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
of the Greek Archaeological Service discovered a number of
artifacts showing the existence of a
sanctuary dating to the
archaic period. Items recovered include
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
vases, objects of
lead and
clay,
weapons,
iron tools, and
figurines. Some specific artifacts named are clay
metopes with yellow
veneer
Veneer may refer to:
Materials
* Veneer (dentistry), a cosmetic treatment for teeth
* Masonry veneer, a thin facing layer of brick
* Stone veneer, a thin facing layer of stone
* Wood veneer, a thin facing layer of wood
Arts and entertainment
* ' ...
,
spearheads, and part of the arm of a
marble statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
.
One important artifact is a bronze flask (described as "navel-shaped") in excellent condition with the inscription "Tilephilos dedicated me to Herakles" in the
archaic Greek alphabet. This indicates the presence of a Herakles
cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
, which is linked to
Pherae and is documented in the region through
Hellenistic-era
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in History of the Mediterranean region, Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as sig ...
inscriptions.
The flask had been found several years before its value was recognized when a
natural gas pipeline was built near the hill of Spartia by the Volos-Velestinos-Larissa highway (on the site of the ancient Pherae-Pagasses road). Put in storage by the XII Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the
Ministry for Culture, the object was rediscovered when it was cleaned during conservation work.
References
Greek temples
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Thessaly
Temples in Greece
Religion in ancient Thessaly
Temples of Heracles
Greek inscriptions
2007 archaeological discoveries
Buildings and structures in Magnesia (regional unit)
{{AncientGreece-archaeology-stub