Archaeologists Reveal 24-Century-Old Family Tragedy
Archaeologists digging a historical Hellenistic city in Cyprus came upon children tragedy 24 centuries ago, the Cypriot Department of Antiquities announced on Thursday.
It said the archaeologists who continued excavating on the ancient city-state of Kourion have come upon the remains of four years old members of a family believed to are actually buried within the ruins of the house which collapsed using a massive earthquake that destroyed the location in the fourth century BC.
"Initial analysis indicates the remains incorporate two adults, a juvenile, with an infant. The family was found huddled together looking to protect one other; the infant was found within the right arm of one of the adults," said the statement.
It seems they did what most people would do today in case there is a quake. They took cover in a corner outside an entrance but this would not help much. They were killed by the collapse of huge stone walls, their bones badly crushed and, now and again, found directly under collapsed architectural stones.
The site from the family tragedy was inside what may are actually an elite house as assessed for the basis in the costly material culture, the monumentality of the architecture, as well as the expensive decorative materials such as gypsum flooring and marble facing that when adorned the architecture.
It was potentially two stories high and abundant in material remains, including a large glass plate similar to plates that have been made in Egypt and they are usually within Coptic cemeteries.
A large marble vase, numerous additional highly decorated glass fragments, and fine ceramics indicate the wealth in the household and help accurately concentrate on the date with the tragedy being mid-fourth century BC.
This date continues to be supported through the numismatic analysis with the coins in the building by numismatist Dr. Paul Keen with the University of Massachusetts (Lowell).
The excavation was carried out within the direction of Dr. Thomas W. Davis of the Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth Texas, the United States.
Kourion, a wealthy city around the shores of south Cyprus perched high on cliffs above the eastern Mediterranean sea was rebuilt as soon as the quake and progressed into an important Roman city, boasting one with the finest Greco-Roman theaters, rich mosaics and roman baths famous for their intricate plumber.
The city was again demolished inside a massive earthquake in 15 BC listed through the Cyprus Geological Department as one from the greatest tremors going to the quake prone island.
The same tremor also demolished the city of Paphos, famed throughout the ancient world in the eastern Mediterranean due to the love ceremonies in honor of Aphrodite-Venus, the Cypriot-born goddess of love.
It said the archaeologists who continued excavating on the ancient city-state of Kourion have come upon the remains of four years old members of a family believed to are actually buried within the ruins of the house which collapsed using a massive earthquake that destroyed the location in the fourth century BC.
"Initial analysis indicates the remains incorporate two adults, a juvenile, with an infant. The family was found huddled together looking to protect one other; the infant was found within the right arm of one of the adults," said the statement.
It seems they did what most people would do today in case there is a quake. They took cover in a corner outside an entrance but this would not help much. They were killed by the collapse of huge stone walls, their bones badly crushed and, now and again, found directly under collapsed architectural stones.
The site from the family tragedy was inside what may are actually an elite house as assessed for the basis in the costly material culture, the monumentality of the architecture, as well as the expensive decorative materials such as gypsum flooring and marble facing that when adorned the architecture.
It was potentially two stories high and abundant in material remains, including a large glass plate similar to plates that have been made in Egypt and they are usually within Coptic cemeteries.
A large marble vase, numerous additional highly decorated glass fragments, and fine ceramics indicate the wealth in the household and help accurately concentrate on the date with the tragedy being mid-fourth century BC.
This date continues to be supported through the numismatic analysis with the coins in the building by numismatist Dr. Paul Keen with the University of Massachusetts (Lowell).
The excavation was carried out within the direction of Dr. Thomas W. Davis of the Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth Texas, the United States.
Kourion, a wealthy city around the shores of south Cyprus perched high on cliffs above the eastern Mediterranean sea was rebuilt as soon as the quake and progressed into an important Roman city, boasting one with the finest Greco-Roman theaters, rich mosaics and roman baths famous for their intricate plumber.
The city was again demolished inside a massive earthquake in 15 BC listed through the Cyprus Geological Department as one from the greatest tremors going to the quake prone island.
The same tremor also demolished the city of Paphos, famed throughout the ancient world in the eastern Mediterranean due to the love ceremonies in honor of Aphrodite-Venus, the Cypriot-born goddess of love.
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