An incredible discovery has been made in a cemetery in Greece’s third-largest city, Patras. The skull of an Ancient Greek girl, dated between 400 to 300 BC – over 2,400 years ago – was found, still wearing an impressive ceramic flower weath.
The skull is among a featured collection of the remains of women and girls found in the North Cemetery of the regional capital of Western Greece in the northern Peloponnese. The girl is said to have lived during the Hellenistic period – an era of Greek expansion and conquest – and the skull is currently residing in the New Archaeological Museum. Wreaths like this, which feature colourful myrtle flowers, were a particular trait of burials during this period and were reserved for particularly wealthy aristocrats of the elite. They were often from families of soldiers associated with the campaigns of Alexander the Great.
These skeletons were often discovered within ornately painted tombs, under raised mounds or well-built cist graves, which were also often decorated with paintings.
Ceramics were of great importance in Greece and the ancient world. Myrtle flowers, seen in this skull’s wealth, were a sacred Greek plant of the goddess Aphrodite. Hermes also fashioned his magic winged sandals, which Perseus also used during his quest to kill Medusa, from myrtle branches.
Fragrant myrtle is associated with both love and death in the ancient Greek world. It has been suggested by archaeologists and historians that this young girl was a child bride, a common feature of Greek antiquity, though it could also be the case that she died before her time.
Meanwhile, in the first century AD, Pliny reported a belief that, while on an extended journey, those who walked while carrying a myrtle stick would never feel weariness. Therefore, the myrtle depicted on the young girl’s wreath could symbolise strength for her journey to the afterworld.
Last month, archaeologists made a remarkable 9,000-year-old discovery buried within a major ancient city, one that could reshape our understanding of the origins of civilisation. In the study, researchers examined ancient DNA extracted from nearly 400 skeletal remains found at Çatalhöyük- a remarkably well-preserved Neolithic site located in southern Turkey.
The findings pointed to compelling evidence that this early civilisation may have been structured around maternal lineage, hinting at the possibility of a matriarchal social system.
Meanwhile, on the picturesque Croatian island of Vis, a new discovery has confirmed the existence of democracy in this part of the world, leading to a major shift in the historical understanding of the ancient Greek city-state of Issa. Until now, it was believed that Issa declined with the fall of classical Greece. However, new evidence shows the city endured for centuries longer.