Archaeologists in northern Israel may have unearthed a sanctuary of the Greek god Pan in the ancient city of Hippos.
Excavations by the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa have uncovered a monumental Roman gate, which may have led to a compound dedicated to the worship of Pan, the god of flocks and shepherds, who is depicted as half man and half goat in Greek mythology.
The new archaeological find may help researchers better understand previous discoveries in the ancient city. Last year, the archaeologists discovered a bronze mask of Pan, which is unusually large compared to other such bronze masks of the Greek God that date from the same period. The researchers had said that efforts to date the item or explain the function of the mask would be difficult. [The 7 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth]
With the recent discovery of the gate, Michael Eisenberg, head of the expedition, said that the researchers now have a starting point that will help them look for answers.
"Now that the whole gate has been exposed, we not only have better information for dating the mask, but also a clue to its function," Eisenberg said in a statement. "Are we looking at a gate that led to the sanctuary of the god Pan or one of the rustic gods?"
The mask was found in the remains of a large stone building, and the archaeologists hoped that uncovering the rest of the building would offer context about the mask's origins.
Based on what they found in the excavation, the researchers estimate that the original gateway was about 20 feet (6 meters) tall, and that the entire building was likely even taller. They’ve also dated the building to the time of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who reigned from A.D. 117 to A.D. 138.
Eisenberg hypothesized that the site, which was found outside of the city limits, was possibly a compound for the god Pan, and that it had been built just in front of the entrance to Hippos.
"The mask, and now the gate in which it was embedded, are continuing to fire our imaginations," Eisenberg said. "The worship of Pan sometimes included ceremonies involving drinking, sacrifices and ecstatic rituals, including nudity and sex. This worship usually took place outside the city walls, in caves and other natural settings."
Hippos, also called Sussita, overlooks the Sea of Galilee and was established in the third century B.C. and destroyed by an earthquake in the year A.D. 749. Hippos is also of historic significance in Christianity, because it once formed what is known as the "Decapolis" — an area along the Jordan River described in the New Testament that, together with other ancient cities along the Jordan River, was the land in which Jesus performed miracles.
As more discoveries are made in future excavations, the researchers said that newly unearthed material will continue to shed light on the ancient city's history.
"What kind of worship of Pan or his fellow Dionysus, the god of wine, took place here in Hippos?" Eisenberg said. "To answer that question, we will have to keep on digging."
By Kacey Deamer
With many thanks to Live Science
Some related posts:
Stonehenge: A Breakthrough In An Age-old Mystery?
Chauvet Cave Paintings: Cave Women Left Their Artistic Mark
Colossal Pharaoh Statues of Amenhotep III Found in Egypt’s Temple City Luxor
Lost City of Heracleion Gives Up Its Secrets
Shilling Discovery 'Could' Rewrite Canadian History
Fake Pharaoh: Tutankhamun Replica To Safeguard Original Tomb
10,000-year-old House Uncovered Outside Of Jerusalem
Great Zimbabwe
Rock-hewn Tombs From Ancient Egypt Discovered In Aswan
Europe's Oldest Human Footprints Found: 900,000 Year-old Norfolk Footprints 'Definitely Human”
First Pharaoh Ruled Ancient Egypt Earlier Than First Thought
The Antikythera Mechanism - The World's Oldest Known Computer
Archaeologists Digging Up Cecile B DeMille's Movie Treasures
The Lost Technology of Ancient Egyptians
The Elgin Marbles - A Continuing Controversy
Zeugma: 2,000-Year-Old Mosaics Uncovered In Turkey
Five Lost Cities
China's Lost Civilization: The Mystery Of Sanxingdui
Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh
Ancient Tomb in Amphipolis Revealed
Easter Island: Scientists Are Closer To Understanding What Wiped Out Its Society
The World’s Priceless Treasures
Relief of Queen Nefertiti
Gold Treasures Discovered in Ming Dynasty Tomb
Unique Mosaic Images Uncovered in Fifth-Century Synagogue
Philip of Macedonia, Greece’s Ancient King, Found
Queen Nefertiti: Was She Hidden In King Tutankhamun’s Tomb?
The Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
The Antikythera Mechanism: Second Expedition Seeks More Mechanism Remains
Discovery Of Ancient Cave Paintings In Petra
Scientists Find ‘Superhenge’ That Could Be Five Times The Area Of Stonehenge
New Clues to Ancient Roman Art Discovered in Egyptian Mummy Portraits
Babylonians Tracked Jupiter with Fancy Math, Tablet Reveals
Rome Reborn – An Amazing Digital Model of Ancient Rome
A Day in Pompeii
The Holigost: 600 Year Old Pride of Henry V’s Fleet May Have Been Found
Ippolito Rosellini: The Monuments of Egypt And Nubia
Gem-Filled Warrior's Tomb Discovered in Ancient Greek City
Amenhotep’s Fragmented Book Of The Dead Found
Acra: Ancient Citadel Unearthed In Jerusalem
Glastonbury Legends, King Arthur’s ‘Grave’, Made Up For Cash By Monks
Is Queen Nefertiti Buried In King Tutankhaman’s Tomb? - Latest News
King Hezekiah's Seal Impression Found
Spanish Galleon San Jose Discovered Laden With Treasure Off Colombia
Has The Lost Island Of Kane Been Found?
Britain's Pompeii' Found at Bronze Age Settlement
New Clues to Ancient Roman Art Discovered in Egyptian Mummy Portraits
Hidden Rooms In King Tut’s Tomb May Contain Organic Material
Shipwreck Discovered From Explorer Vasco da Gama's Fleet
Ancestral Puebloans Were Hit By Boom and Bust
Bible Breakthrough Found In Israel
Queen Hatshepsut's Building Blocks Discovered
What’s REALLY Inside A Pyramid:1st 3D Images Created Using Cosmic Particles
The World's 20 Most Impressive Ancient Builds
Rare Ancient Greek Gold Crown Discovered Under A Bed.
Dagger in King Tut's Tomb Was Made With Iron From A Meteorite
Team Testing New Scanner on Egypt's Great Pyramid
Ancient Mayan Observatory Was Used To Track Venus And Mars
Archaeologists Find 22 Ancient Greek Shipwrecks
Archaeologists Reveal Probable Sites Of Two Missions That Predate The Alamo
Palace Found At Tintagel, Fabled Birthplace Of King Arthur
Marble Statues of Aphrodite Unearthed At Petra
Did the Greeks Help Sculpt China's Terra Cotta Warriors?
Egyptian Mummy And Temple 4200 Years Old With Well-Preserved Art Revealed
