Posted on 07/22/2011 3:18:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Roman sarcophagus in the central Italian Lazio region surrounding Rome. It is the second sarcophagus discovered during a dig being coordinated by the University of Michigan.
The sarcophagus was uncovered in the area of Lazio believed to the site of the ancient Roman city of Gabii, located 18 kilometres east of Rome.
Both sarcophagi -- coffins typically adorned with sculptures or inscriptions -- are made of lead and are believed to date from the 1st or 2nd century AD.
The first sarcophagus was unearthed in 2009 by archaelogists working on the same dig, the 'Gabii Project', which began in 2007.
According the site director, archaelogist Anna Gallone, the two sarcophagi are examples of a unique funeral rite found in Gabii.
The team of archaeologists gleaned information about Gabii during a 2007-2008 surface survey of the city, which was once a rival of ancient Rome.
(Excerpt) Read more at adnkronos.com ...
An archaeological mystery in a half-ton lead coffin
University of Michigan | Mar. 29, 2010 | Unknown
Posted on 03/29/2010 12:52:22 PM PDT by decimon
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Why is that man poking a snake with a stick? Perhaps the person in the coffin died of snake bite.
Thanks.
This shows realistic faces. That’s kinda neat cuz the stylized images you often see on old stuff gives just a clue as to what people looked like in that time and place.
I am currently reading about how central Asian warrior invasions destroyed the central European agricultural civilizations between 6000 and 4000 years ago. They also did their best to detroy the Goddess religions. The snake was one of the Goddess symbols. This is why in the Bible, God denies mankind knowledge, a snake lures woman into partaking of knowledge, and then has her tempting man into the same error. Got to put down those pesky, smart, sexy women and keep them barefoot and pregnant and dumb.
If this is Mithraic, this was a very masculine religion with no place for women. On the other hand the object in the pokers hand looks like the medical cadeucis with the two snakes, so perhaps this is there because the person died of some disease or as a protection in the afterlife??
The clothes the figure is wearing look very much like those worn in Europe in the Middle Ages.
“This is why in the Bible, God denies mankind knowledge, a snake lures woman into partaking of knowledge, and then has her tempting man into the same error. Got to put down those pesky, smart, sexy women and keep them barefoot and pregnant and dumb.”
What crap.
Ignoring the theological issues, the Torah (from whence the Eden story originates) came from -— shocker — North Africa, not Europe.
And they know this how?
It’s a mythological scene. I immediately thought “Mithras” (even added that to the keyword as I was posting the topic), but at a second look, I wasn’t sure. The cap is the Scythian / Sarmatian / et al style, but that looks like a caduceus in the hand of the figure on the right. Turns out it’s Mithras (lower right) with a solar deity (upper left), other deities. Snakes, scorpions, and dogs were associated with Mithras in these representations, although the best-known portrayal is Mithras cutting the throat of a bull.
The main problem with Gabii was that haze that covered everything.
Who knew he was from Italy?
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