Date:

Fragment of Ancient Egyptian goddess found in 2,700-year-old settlement in Spain

Archaeologists excavating a 2,700-year-old Iron Age settlement in Salamanca, Spain, have uncovered a fragment of an Ancient Egyptian goddess.

The team were excavating on the Cerro de San Vicente, one of three hills in Salamanca, where a walled Iron Age settlement was first uncovered in 1990. The settlement covers an area of 3.2 acres, of which archaeologists have so far explored 1000 square metres over the past three decades.

- Advertisement -

In the latest excavation, led by Antonio Blanco and Juan Jesús Padilla from the University of Salamanca, the team uncovered amulets and painted ceramics, featuring motifs of Egyptian or other eastern Mediterranean origins.

The ceramics are part of a glazed ceramic inlay with gold leaf, depicting the goddess Hathor who was worshiped as the consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god Ra, both of whom were connected with kingship, and thus she was the symbolic mother of their earthly representatives, the pharaohs. The pieces form a fragment that is around five centimetres in length, showing the bottom section of the goddess’s hair with her curls plainly visible.

de1
Image Credit : University of Salamanca

Speaking to El Pais, Padilla said: “Each piece was shaped to fit perfectly into its support base. Then, with a kind of resin or adhesive, they were glued into place. We are currently analysing the piece in our laboratory to see if there are any traces of this glue still on the inner surface, to determine what kind of resin was used.”

Archaeologists found the ceramics deliberately placed within the walls of a large rectangular hall (megaron). They were positioned among the adobe blocks and mud grout, along with a shark’s tooth, necklace beads, and a piece of an amphora which is decorated with floral motifs painted in Egyptian blue.

- Advertisement -

How a depiction of Hathor found its way to an Iron Age site in Spain is an enigma. The team suggest that a Phoenician delegation may have brought the artefact as a gift or to trade, however, there is also the possibility that the inhabitants of the settlements had adopted the rites and iconography of far reaching eastern Mediterranean cultures. Both theories are supported by previous excavations, where in 2021 the team also uncovered a blue amulet that also depicts Hathor.

Universidad de Salamanca

Header Image Credit : University of Salamanca

 

- Advertisement -
spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Thirty Years’ war camp excavation sheds light on military life

Archaeologists from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) have excavated one of the largest fortified military camps of the Thirty Years' War, located in Stein, Germany.

Macabre book discovery at Suffolk Museum

A macabre book bound in human skin has been rediscovered at Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Homeowner discovers hidden tunnel beneath townhouse

A homeowner unexpectedly discovered a hidden tunnel during renovations of their townhouse in Tielt, Belgium.

Armed in death: swords reveal warrior graves

Archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have uncovered a necropolis with burials accompanied by richly adorned grave goods.

4,000 fragments of Roman wall paintings unearthed in Villajoyosa

Archaeologists excavating the Roman villa of Barberes Sud in Villajoyosa, Spain, have unearthed over 4,000 fragments of ornamental wall paintings.

Archaeologists solve the mystery of the “Deserted Castle”

Along the shores of a Danube tributary near Stopfenreuth are a section of ruined walls known locally as the “Deserted Castle”.

Ancient lecture hall discovered at Agrigento

An international team of archaeologists, led by Prof. Dr. Monika Trümper and Dr. Thomas Lappi from the Free University of Berlin have discovered an ancient lecture hall during excavations at Agrigento.

Ancient Greek theatre discovered on Lefkada

Archaeologists have discovered an Ancient Greek theatre during a long-term study on the island of Lefkada, located in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece.