Greek archeological find astonishes experts
Archeologists working in Greece in the area once known as Arcadia recently made a startling find. On the summit of Mount Lykaion--which some believe to be the birthplace of the greek god, Zeus--ashes, bones, fragments of pottery, and other evidence of animal sacrifices were uncovered last summer.
The pottery appears to originate from pre-Zeus times, dated around 3000 B.C., approximately 900 years before today's Greek ancestors settled in the area.
The finding is significant, considering that ancient texts describe the time of Zeus as early as 1400 B.C. David Gilman Romano of the University of Pennsylvania commented that the archeological evidence on Mount Lykaion “suggests that the tradition of devotion to some divinity on that spot is very ancient” and “very likely predates the introduction of Zeus in the Greek world.”
“We do not yet know exactly how the altar was first used in this early period, 3000-2000 B.C., or whether it was used in connection with natural phenomena such as wind, rain, lightning or earthquakes, possibly to worship some kind of divinity, male or female, or a personification representing forces of nature,” Dr. Romano said. “But this is what we are thinking at this moment.”
Archeological excavations will likely continue the summer of 2008 and may uncover further evidence and support the current findings.
New York Times article: An altar beyond Olympus for a diety predating Zeus
