Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 24, 2008 7:49:38 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Newfound Altar Predates Zeus Worship

Posted Feb 5, 08 11:15 AM CST in World,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Archaeologists in Greece have unearthed the remains of an altar that predates Zeus worship, the New York Times reports. The evidence of animal sacrifices to an unknown deity thousands of years ago turned up during excavation of a temple to Zeus in Greece's Arcadia region. “We went from BC to 'BZ'—before Zeus," quipped one archaeologist.

The sanctuary on a stark mountaintop was ancient even in the time of the ancient Greeks and dates as far back as 3000 BC, some 900 years before Greek-speaking people arrived. "You have some god being worshiped on a mountaintop, and the arriving Greeks translated the god as ‘Zeus,’ their god of the sky, lightning, weather and so on," one expert explained.

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • 1780 British Warship Found

    Jun 14, 08 6:22 AM CDT
    1780 British Warship Found Two intrepid explorers using sonar and a remote-controlled submersible have discovered what may be the oldest shipwreck in the Great Lakes, the AP reports. HMS Ontario, a British warship carrying as many as 130, sank in a storm in Lake Ontario in 1780. Since 1781, when six sailors’ bodies washed ashore, there had been no sign of the 80-foot sloop before the find announced yesterday. More »

  • Peru Dig Yields 4000-Year Old Gold Necklace

    Mar 31, 08 8:06 PM CDT
    Peru Dig Yields 4000-Year Old Gold Necklace Researchers have dug up the oldest piece of crafted gold in the Americas, a 4,000-year old gold necklace, LiveScience reports. Found at a pre-Inca burial site in Peru, the bling proves that primitive societies sought displays of wealth. It signals "the social process towards some kind of inequality," said Mark Aldenderfer, a University of Arizona anthropologist. More »

  • Archaeologists Unearth Pre-Inca Temple

    Mar 16, 08 6:29 AM CDT
    Archaeologists Unearth Pre-Inca Temple Archaeologists have dug up a pre-Incan temple that sheds light on a lost Peruvian culture, the AP reports. Nestled in a mountain region, the sprawling site housed the Killke people as they fended off an encroaching Spanish empire around 1200 AD. Evidence of mummies and idols shows that the Killke were not only warriors but had a "sacred ceremonial nature," one researcher said. More »

  • Ancient Plaza Found in Peru

    Feb 26, 08 1:50 PM CST
    Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed one of the oldest structures in the Americas, Reuters reports. Carbon dating indicates the ceremonial plaza in Casma is 5,500 years old, scientists at the dig say. That's 500 years older than the nearby ancient citadel of Caral, previously thought be Peru’s oldest ruins. "It's an impressive find," said the project's supervisor. More »

  • Pyramid Unearthed in Mexico City

    Dec 28, 07 10:58 AM CST
    Pyramid Unearthed in Mexico City Archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of an 800-year-old Aztec pyramid in the heart of modern Mexico City. The ruins, which are approximately 36 feet high, stand on the former site of Tlatelolco, a center of political and religious power and the twin city of Tenochtitlan. The discovery indicates that the ancient city might be more than a century older than previously believed, reports Reuters. More »

GREECE, Olympia: Detail of the temple of Zeus. (c) Ferdinando Scianna/Magnum Photos (SCF9085)   (Magnum Photos)
GREECE, Olimpia: statue of Zeus and Ganimede. (SCF6514)   (Magnum Photos)
The temple of Olympian Zeus. Archaeologists excavating a site on a mountain-top nearby found evidence that a god pre-dating Zeus had been worshipped there.   ((c) jtstewart)
Temple of Olympian Zeus   ((c) jtstewart)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

archaeology  • Greece  • discovery  • Zeus


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »