The University of Sassari (UNISS) has successfully completed its annual excavation campaigns at three protohistoric sites of great importance in Sardinia. Led by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, these investigations have shed light on the construction and organization of temples and sanctuaries that characterize the island from the end of the Bronze Age […]
Temples
4000-year-old Temple with an Enigmatic Central Monolith Discovered in Cyprus
Archaeologists discovered a 4000-year-old temple on the island of Cyprus. The finding was made by the Italian Erimi Archaeological Mission, led by Professor Luca Bombardieri from the University of Siena, in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus. The temple, which features an enigmatic central monolith decorated with a circular motif of small cups, […]
The Best Preserved Temple in Egypt Was Saved Because It Was Buried 12 Meters Under the Sand
When Auguste Mariette, who had been sent eight years earlier by the Louvre Museum to Egypt in search of ancient manuscripts, was appointed Conservator of Monuments by the Egyptian government in 1858, he initiated a frenetic excavation activity. In 1860 alone, he directed more than 35 new excavations while also maintaining the ones already started. […]
The Mystery of the Hekatompedon: A Rock Carving by an Ancient Shepherd Gives Clues About an Unknown Building on the Acropolis
In the hills to the north and east of Vari in Attica lies a surprising testament to the life and art of the ancient Greeks: more than 2000 rock carvings on marble rocks dating back to the 6th century BC offer a glimpse into the daily activities and concerns of the shepherds who roamed these […]
Rare Artifacts and Remains of Ritual Meals Found in a Well at Ostia Antica, in Front of the Temple of Hercules
New archaeological fragments of objects used in imperial life and linked to cult rituals have appeared in the excavations carried out in the Sacred Zone of the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome. The discovery, following the recovery of two fragments of the Fasti Ostienses that came to light last year, […]
The Temple of Hadrian at Cyzicus was the Largest Built in Antiquity, and its Corinthian Capitals the Largest Ever Sculpted
Founded by Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century BC and located on a peninsula in northwest Anatolia, the city of Cyzicus was one of the most thriving metropolises of the ancient world, flourishing in the shadow of the imposing Dindymus mountain massif and bathed by the waters of the Propontis strait, which connected […]
The Temple of Isis at Pompeii, One of the First Buildings to be Unearthed from the Ashes
The Temple of the Egyptian goddess Isis in Pompeii was discovered in 1764 during the initial archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It was one of the first buildings to be unearthed, and its walls still bore beautiful ancient paintings. Excavations in Pompeii began […]
Fragment of the Frieze from the Temple of Zeus Found at a Depth of 9 Meters off the Coast of Agrigento
An exciting archaeological discovery recently emerged from the Mediterranean Sea after a meticulous underwater excavation and rescue intervention carried out off the coast of Agrigento in Sicily. A team composed of the Subacquei Nucleus of the Carabinieri Command, responsible for the protection of submerged cultural heritage, the Superintendence of the Sea, and the Diving Group […]
Excavations Reveal the Temple of Poseidon at Samikon is Larger than Estimated and its Floor Plan is Unusual
In the context of this year’s excavation period within the five-year research program in the Kleidi area in Samikon (in the Greek region of Elis), which concluded at the end of September, significant data about the monumental structure discovered in 2022 through geophysical survey, came to light. The research project, aiming to investigate the topography […]
Two Greek Doric Temples Unearthed in the Ancient City of Paestum in Italy
A campaign of stratigraphic excavations in the western area of the ancient Greek city of Poseidonia (Roman Paestum) has revealed the existence of two Greek Doric temples. This discovery sheds new light on the origins and urban development of the polis and provides crucial data for understanding the evolution of Doric architecture in Poseidonia and […]