• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

Archaeologists have identified the Temple of Poseidon in Samikon

Dario Radley by Dario Radley
January 12, 2023
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Linkedin.Share on RedditShare on Whatsapp

Some 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greek historian Strabo referred the presence of an important shrine on the west coast of the Peloponnese. Archaic temple ruins have now been discovered near Samikon at the Kleidi site, which was presumably once part of Poseidon’s sanctuary.

Archaeologists have identified the Temple of Poseidon in Samikon
Archaeologists have identified the Temple of Poseidon in Samikon. Credit: Dr. Birgitta Eder / Athens Branch of the Austrian Archaeological Institute

The Austrian Archaeological Institute, in collaboration with colleagues from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Kiel University, and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis, discovered the remains of an early temple-like structure within the Poseidon sanctuary site, which was possibly dedicated to the deity himself.

The site is located on the Peloponnesian coast, which has seen a lot of archaeological activity and has been hit by several tsunamis in the past. With Poseidon being the Greek God who ruled the oceans and conjured storms, historians believe a coastal location would be a logical location for his temple.

Because of its easy accessibility and security, a settlement was established here during the Mycenaean era, which flourished for several centuries and maintained contacts to the north and south along the coast.

Professor Andreas Vött of Mainz University has been conducting geoarchaeological surveys in this area since 2018, with the goal of better understanding how this unique situation evolved and how the coast in the Kleidi/Samikon region has changed over time.

RelatedStories

Ancient Hellenistic sculpture workshop with unfinished statues unearthed at Floga site on Paros island, Greece

Ancient Hellenistic sculpture workshop with unfinished statues unearthed at Floga site on Paros island, Greece

May 20, 2025
Hidden optical secrets of the Parthenon revealed by Oxford archaeologist

Hidden optical secrets of the Parthenon revealed by Oxford archaeologist

May 7, 2025

He has worked on several campaigns for this purpose with Dr. Birgitta Eder, Director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute’s Athens Branch, and Dr. Erofili-Iris Kolia of the local monuments protection authority, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis.

The structure’s traces were discovered in late 2021. In the autumn of that year, Dr. Dennis Wilken of Kiel University found traces of structures at a site at the eastern foot of the hill group in an area that had previously been identified as of interest following previous exploration.

“The location of this uncovered sacred site matches the details provided by Strabo in his writings,” said archaeologist Birgitta Eder of the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The history of extreme wave events in the area may be related to its significance as a place of worship. ”It seems possible that this location may have actually been explicitly selected for the site of the Poseidon temple because of these extreme occurrences,” Mainz University stated.

Archaeologists have identified the Temple of Poseidon in Samikon
Statue of Poseidon at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Credit: Ricardo André Frantz, CC BY-SA 3.0

“The results of our investigations to date indicate that the waves of the open Ionian Sea actually washed up directly against the group of hills until the 5th millennium BCE. Thereafter, on the side facing the sea, an extensive beach barrier system developed in which several lagoons were isolated from the sea,” said Vött, who is Professor of Geomorphology at JGU.

Over the next few years, the structure will be subjected to extensive archaeological, geoarchaeological, and geophysical analysis. The researchers hope to establish whether it has a specific relationship with a coastal landscape that is subject to extensive transformation. — Universitaet Mainz

Publication: B. Eder et al. New research at Kleidi-Samikon, in: Ξανθοπούλου, Μ., Μπάνου, Α., Ζυμή, Ε., Γιαννούλη, Ε., Καραπαναγιώτου, A., Κουμούση, Α. (eds.): Το Αρχαιολογικο Εργο Στην Πελοποννησο 2 (Αεπελ 2). Πρακτικά της Β΄ Επιστημονικής Συνάντησης, Καλαμάτα, 1-4 Νοεμβρίου 2017. Πανεπιστήμιο Πελοποννήσου, pp. 233-245, Kalamata 2020,
ISBN: 978-960-89611-8-0
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds
Archaeology

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

July 1, 2025
Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact
Anthropology

Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

July 1, 2025
British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet
Archaeology

British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

June 30, 2025
Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome
Archaeology

Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

June 30, 2025
DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük
Anthropology

DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

June 29, 2025
Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier
Archaeology

Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

June 28, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
247K

Facebook
110K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Genetic study reveals the origin and diversity of the Huns

European Huns were not of Turkic origin but had ancient Siberian roots, linguistic study reveals

June 24, 2025
Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

May 28, 2025
Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

June 28, 2025
Sinkhole in York uncovers remains of medieval St Leonard’s Hospital, one of northern England’s largest

Sinkhole in York uncovers remains of medieval St Leonard’s Hospital, one of northern England’s largest

June 22, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

July 1, 2025
Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

July 1, 2025
British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

June 30, 2025
Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

June 30, 2025
DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

June 29, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.