Gold Wreath Still Adorns 2,500 Year-Old Skull in Crete, Greece

The skull of the jock is inactive adorned by the aureate wreath. Credit: Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos, Crete

The skull of a crowned jock with a golden wreath successful the signifier of a laurel subdivision inactive attached to it is possibly 1 of the astir awesome exhibits successful Greece.

The soma disintegrated aft 2,500 years, but the wreath stuck and remained connected the skull. Inside the mouth, a metallic coin was recovered arsenic a token to Charon, who successful Greek mythology was the ferryman of Hades who carried the souls of the recently deceased to the underworld.

The skull was recovered successful the cemetery of the past metropolis of Lato and is 1 of the astir spectacular exhibits astatine Agios Nikolaos Museum successful Crete.

Skull with golden wreath discovered successful the ruins of the past metropolis of Lato

Lato was an past metropolis of Crete, the ruins of which are located astir 3 km from the colony of Kritsa, among the oldest and astir picturesque villages successful Crete which was built amphitheatrically connected a stone elevation called Kastellos. This elevation is surrounded by olive groves astatine an altitude of 375m.

The Dorian city-state was built successful a defensible presumption overlooking Mirabello Bay betwixt 2 peaks, some of which became acropolises to the city.

Although the metropolis astir apt predates the accomplishment of the Dorians, the ruins day chiefly from the Dorian play (5th and 4th centuries BCE). The metropolis was destroyed c. 200 BCE, but its larboard (Lato Etera, oregon Lato pros Kamara), located adjacent Agios Nikolaos was successful usage during Roman rule.

This has led to the confusion, repeated by Stephanus of Byzantium quoting Xenion, a Cretan historian, that Kamara and Lato were 1 and the same. Modern assistance distinguishes the two.

The metropolis was astir apt named aft the goddess Leto (of which Lato is the accustomed Doric form) and whitethorn beryllium mentioned successful Linear B tablets arsenic RA-TO. Lato besides minted coins successful antiquity, bearing the likeness of the goddess Eileithyia, who appears to person been the 1 peculiarly worshipped astatine Lato.

Nearchus, admiral of Alexander the Great, was calved astatine Lato.

Skull was exhibited astatine the Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos

The Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos opened successful 1969 and is considered 1 of the astir important successful Crete. It has a affluent postulation of archaeological treasures ranging from the pre-Minoan (3000 BC) to the Roman (2nd period AD) period.

The depository houses collections of captious archaeological findings from the full portion of eastbound Crete, extending from Malia to the distant Zakros. Its showcases included much than 1,500 pots, arsenic good arsenic the oldest golden and bronze findings successful Crete.

Among the exhibits of the depository are the findings from the seaside cemetery of Agia Fotia, the largest Minoan cemetery that has been excavated, the terracotta figurine of the Goddess of Myrtos, the aureate pin, the chromatic pyxidio, and the chromatic Rhyton successful signifier of a triton shell.