Bullfighting figurine resurfaces near temple of Zeus in Olympia after heavy rains

Zeus struck the land of the Greeks with lightning, the image is well known, but - it is sometimes forgotten - the master of the Hellenic pantheon handled the rain just as well.

The one that fell around the archaeological site of Olympia last week was perhaps one of those divine pranks, since it partially revealed in the rough ground of the ancient Greek sanctuary a small bronze statuette which had been lying ever since. centuries a few inches from the surface.

Read also: A statue of Zeus in Olympia printed in 3D

Betrayed by its long horns protruding from the earth, the statuette was discovered by archaeologist Zacharoula Leventouris near the great temple of Zeus in Olympia, one of the most important shrines in the ancient Greek world.

Representing a bull - one of the many avatars of the Greek god - the object was a votive figurine, a bronze offering.

If the accidental nature of the find unfortunately does not offer a very meaningful stratigraphic landmark for archaeologists, its style is quite typical of the geometric style, that is to say that it was probably offered to the divinity between -1050 and -700.

It is then, in Greece, of the archaic period.

Rather little known, it is marked by the reign of many "

tyrants

»On a large part of the cities, as well as by the foundation of Greek colonies on the perimeter of the Mediterranean basin.

• 1/5 - The bullfighting statuette discovered at the sanctuary of Zeus in Oympia.

  Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού / Ministry of Culture and Sports

• 2/5 - The bullfighting statuette discovered at the sanctuary of Zeus in Oympie.

  Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού / Ministry of Culture and Sports

• 3/5 - The bullfighting statuette discovered at the sanctuary of Zeus in Oympia.

  Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού / Ministry of Culture and Sports

• 4/5 - The bullfighting statuette discovered at the sanctuary of Zeus in Oympie.

  Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού / Ministry of Culture and Sports

• 5/5 - The bullfighting statuette discovered at the sanctuary of Zeus in Oympie.

  Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού / Ministry of Culture and Sports

Very well preserved, the bull was sent to the Preventive Conservation Laboratory for the Ephoria of Elis.

Inspection and cleaning of the object revealed traces of burns and sediment that indicate that the statuette had been offered to the flames during the offering, and not simply deposited.

A detailed typological study is already in preparation: the work of serializing the object with its peers should, if all goes well, make it possible to specify its dating somewhat.

To read also: Mycenae, Nafplion, Epidaurus: the treasures of Greek Argolida in a weekend

The sacred site of Olympia predates by many centuries the construction of its most famous architectural ensemble, namely the temple of Zeus, erected in the heart of the classical period, during the 5th century BC.

Before this monument existed in the sacred wood of Altis an altar dedicated to Zeus: attested since at least the 12th century, the site has yielded a large number of votive statuettes in bronzes of horses, bulls and of warriors.

Offerings of votive animal figurines were commonplace during this period of transition between the Archaic and Classical eras;

of a rudimentary invoice, they were probably produced and sold in large numbers around the sanctuary, so that many were deliberately buried to avoid the outright clutter of the site.

Many of these objects are now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

The sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia was, along with that of Apollo at Delphi, one of the most important Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries in the Greek world.

The site had hosted the Olympic Games since the beginning of the 8th century BC.

J.-C .. The temple of Zeus, meanwhile, was one of the architectural wonders of Antiquity.

Designed by the Greek sculptor Phidias, the chryselephantine statue of Zeus that sat enthroned inside the temple was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.