Where myth and archaeology meet: Discovering the Gorgon Medusa's Lair

Autor: M. Cristina Reinoso del Rio, Geraldine Finlayson, José María Gutiérrez López, Joaquín Rodríguez Vidal, David Abulafia, Richard P. Jennings, Francisco Giles Pacheco, Stewart Finlayson, Francisco Giles Guzmán, Clive Finlayson, Antonio M. Sáez Romero
Přispěvatelé: Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Finlayson, Clive [0000-0003-4795-9430], Gutierrez Lopez, Jose Maria [0000-0001-5257-0556], Saez Romero, Antonio M [0000-0001-7071-9748], Giles Guzman, Francisco [0000-0002-8092-7302], Finlayson, Geraldine [0000-0002-1751-5655], Rodriguez Vidal, Joaquin [0000-0002-9475-3307], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
European People
Topography
Ceramics
History
Archaeological Excavation
Social Sciences
Marine and Aquatic Sciences
01 natural sciences
Image representation
Oceans
Medicine and Health Sciences
Ethnicities
0601 history and archaeology
Materials
Multidisciplinary
geography.geographical_feature_category
060102 archaeology
Pillar
Gorgon Medusa
06 humanities and the arts
CC
CB
Caves
Archaeology
Physical Sciences
Medicine
Anatomy
Myth
Research Article
010506 paleontology
Science
Materials Science
Context (language use)
Natural (archaeology)
QH301
Cave
Bodies of water
Ocular System
Situated
Mediterranean Sea
Humans
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
geography
Biology and Life Sciences
Correction
Geomorphology
Excavation
Mythology
Greek People
Archaeological excavation
Earth sciences
Mediterranean sea
People and Places
Greek people
Eyes
Population Groupings
Head
Zdroj: PLoS ONE
PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 4, p e0249606 (2021)
Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
instname
ISSN: 1932-6203
Popis: Here we report the discovery of ceramic fragments that form part of a Gorgoneion, a ceramic image representation of the Gorgon Medusa. The fragments were found in a deep part of Gorham’s Cave, well known to ancient mariners as a natural shrine, between the 8th and 2nd century BCE. We discuss the context of this discovery, both within the inner topography of the cave itself, and also the broader geographical context. The discovery is situated at the extreme western end of the Mediterranean Sea, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The location was known to ancient mariners as the northern Pillar of Herakles, which marked the end of the known world. We relate the discovery, and its geographical and chronological context, to Greek legends that situated the lair of the Gorgon sisters at a location which coin- cides with the physical attributes and geographical position of Gorham’s Cave. We thus pro- vide, uniquely, a geographical and archaeological context to the myth of Perseus and the slaying of the Gorgon Medusa.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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