Kouros statues discovered in Atalanti, Central Greece Photos: Greek Ministry of Culture
Posted on 11/09/2018 1:05:18 AM PST by SunkenCiv
At least four Kouros-type statues from the Archaic era were among four unearthed during excavations in October by the ephorate of antiquities of Fthiotida and Evrytania in the wider area of Atalanti in central Greece.
Archaeologists commenced digging in the area after a landowner in Atalanti reported that he found the trunk of a naked male statue as he was tilling his field.
Kouros is the name given to free-standing ancient Greek sculptures representing nude male youths. They first made their appearance in the Archaic period.
Their figures began to appear in Greece about 615-590 BC. While many aspects of the kouroi directly reflect Egyptian influence -- especially the application in some kouroi of the contemporary Egyptian canon of proportions -- they gradually took on distinctly Greek characteristics.
Unlike the Egyptian sculptures, the kouroi had no explicit religious purpose, serving, for example, as tombstones and commemorative markers.
They occasionally represented the god Apollo, but they also depicted local heroes, such as athletes.
The life-size kouroi are in very good condition while parts of an ancient cemetery were also discovered.
According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, the larger of the four is 1.22 meters (4 feet) in height and survives from the head to the thighs. It depicts a standing, bearded young man with the left leg extended.
Smaller segments of the other three kouroi were also unearthed and transferred to the Atalanti museum for further examination.
Excavations continue in the area where the ancient cemetery was located.
(Excerpt) Read more at tornosnews.gr ...
Kouros statues discovered in Atalanti, Central Greece Photos: Greek Ministry of Culture
Isn't the beard unusual for a kouros?
Good one.
Yeah, actually, but I think it depended on whether or not the artist making the statue was a homo or not.
http://www.google.com/search?q=kouros&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&tbm=isch
I read of similar statues found fifty years ago in Greece. It was believed they were broken off at the feet and buried to prevent the Persians, then invading, from destroying them. It was believed they were grave markers and the article said they would try and match the feet up with stones in the area.
Hey, my mother had one of those in her garden watering the pool.
How do they know the statues were made by a farmer planting olive trees?
I kid I kid! Don’t hit me.
Ya got me. They're actually not statues at all, they're just buried rocks which have been "sculpted" by repeated and continual strikes by plowshares. .
That's what she told you they were for...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
