A small handmade bronze statue of a Bull was discovered in On March 19, 2021 in the Olympia Archaeological site in Greece. It was a tribute to the powerful Greek God Zeus. This is really exciting to me since I've always admired the Greek Gods and I love archaeology. In today's blog you'll read about the finding and learn more about Zeus.
WHERE IS THE SITE? The Olympia Archaeological site is an ancient stadium at Olympia, Greece. Olympia (Ολυμπία) is one of the most influential ancient Greek sanctuaries, located in western Peloponnese, in Elis. The site covers an expanded area of ruins scattered among low trees, as well as the ancient stadium where the Olympics took place.
(Photo credit: [Ministry of Culture)
Torrential downpour reveals bronze bull statue in Olympia
The Culture Ministry on Friday announced the discovery of a small bronze bull statue in the Olympia Archaeological Site during an inspection by ministry staff and the Ilia Ephorate of Antiquities.
According to the statement, the bull was spotted by archaeologist Zaharoula Leventouri who spotted one of its horns protruding from the ground, following heavy rainfall in the area shifting the earth.
It was immediately unearthed by the team and then taken to the Ephorate’s laboratories to be protected and examined.
According to the first scientific reports, the well-preserved bronze statue can be traced to the Geometric Era (1050-700 BC) and was an offering to Zeus, the God of Thunder and patron of the holy site at Olympia.
Similarly to most small statues of animals, the bull was most likely dedicated to the head of the Greek pantheon by a worshipper during ritual sacrifice, as evidenced by the surrounding sediments and deposits which exhibit burning.
WHO IS ZEUS? Zeus is the Olympian god of the sky and the thunder, the king of all other gods and men, and, consequently, the chief figure in Greek mythology. The son of Cronus and Rhea, he is probably most famous for his infidelity to his sister and wife, Hera.
(Image: Zeus from the pages of DC Comics' Wonder Woman series. Credit: DC Comics)
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