Mystery bones could be a teenager sacrificed to Zeus

[Disir]

The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote grisly legends about Mount Lykaion. The Arcadian peak, some would write, was where one of the first Greeks tried to trick Zeus by feeding him a sacrifice tainted with human flesh. In punishment, the legend goes, Lycaon was either slain or turned into a wolf.

As a result, according to some ancient writers, the firepit altar at the top of the mountain didn’t just receive gifts of livestock from the people of ancient Greece. Sometimes a human boy would be added to the offering in Zeus’s honor (or eaten), perhaps even in the hope of inducing a lupine transformation. But were musings on these sacrifices taken from historical accounts, or were they simply instances of ancient myth turning into urban legend?

Now, archaeologists working to excavate the altar on Mount Lykaion say they may have found evidence that these horrible tales held some truth. A 3,000-year-old skeleton — a young man — has been found curled up in the ashes.

The researchers involved have yet to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal, which means that they haven’t presented evidence to be evaluated by experts not affiliated with a dig. Accordingly, everything must be taken with a grain of salt — it’s possible that any case these scientists make for tying the remains to a human sacrifice, if they try to make one at all, will be debunked by their colleagues.

But with that in mind, Ioannis Mylonopoulos of Columbia University — who wasn’t involved in the latest excavation — thinks the findings could be something special.

“If the preliminary date of the burial (11th century B.C.) suggested by the excavators is correct, then this is extremely significant,” Mylonopoulos said.

These wouldn’t be the first signs of human sacrifice among ancient Greeks, he added. Several other archaeologists have already found — and published peer-reviewed data on — skeletons that seem to suggest such rites took place. In this case, Mylonopoulos said, the skeleton’s lack of head (only its lower jaw was preserved) is “very suspicious” and could be a clue that some kind of ritual led to its demise.
Mystery bones could be a teenager sacrificed to Zeus - HeraldNet.com - Everett and Snohomish County news

They still have 90% to go.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Why am I not surprised... and

What should we talk about?

 

[Disir]

Well, while I wouldn't be shocked that it was a sacrifice............I'd like to see the rest of it done.

 

[bodecea]

The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote grisly legends about Mount Lykaion. The Arcadian peak, some would write, was where one of the first Greeks tried to trick Zeus by feeding him a sacrifice tainted with human flesh. In punishment, the legend goes, Lycaon was either slain or turned into a wolf.

As a result, according to some ancient writers, the firepit altar at the top of the mountain didn’t just receive gifts of livestock from the people of ancient Greece. Sometimes a human boy would be added to the offering in Zeus’s honor (or eaten), perhaps even in the hope of inducing a lupine transformation. But were musings on these sacrifices taken from historical accounts, or were they simply instances of ancient myth turning into urban legend?

Now, archaeologists working to excavate the altar on Mount Lykaion say they may have found evidence that these horrible tales held some truth. A 3,000-year-old skeleton — a young man — has been found curled up in the ashes.

The researchers involved have yet to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal, which means that they haven’t presented evidence to be evaluated by experts not affiliated with a dig. Accordingly, everything must be taken with a grain of salt — it’s possible that any case these scientists make for tying the remains to a human sacrifice, if they try to make one at all, will be debunked by their colleagues.

But with that in mind, Ioannis Mylonopoulos of Columbia University — who wasn’t involved in the latest excavation — thinks the findings could be something special.

“If the preliminary date of the burial (11th century B.C.) suggested by the excavators is correct, then this is extremely significant,” Mylonopoulos said.

These wouldn’t be the first signs of human sacrifice among ancient Greeks, he added. Several other archaeologists have already found — and published peer-reviewed data on — skeletons that seem to suggest such rites took place. In this case, Mylonopoulos said, the skeleton’s lack of head (only its lower jaw was preserved) is “very suspicious” and could be a clue that some kind of ritual led to its demise.
Mystery bones could be a teenager sacrificed to Zeus - HeraldNet.com - Everett and Snohomish County news

They still have 90% to go.

This should be in the Religion section.

 

[Disir]

The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote grisly legends about Mount Lykaion. The Arcadian peak, some would write, was where one of the first Greeks tried to trick Zeus by feeding him a sacrifice tainted with human flesh. In punishment, the legend goes, Lycaon was either slain or turned into a wolf.

As a result, according to some ancient writers, the firepit altar at the top of the mountain didn’t just receive gifts of livestock from the people of ancient Greece. Sometimes a human boy would be added to the offering in Zeus’s honor (or eaten), perhaps even in the hope of inducing a lupine transformation. But were musings on these sacrifices taken from historical accounts, or were they simply instances of ancient myth turning into urban legend?

Now, archaeologists working to excavate the altar on Mount Lykaion say they may have found evidence that these horrible tales held some truth. A 3,000-year-old skeleton — a young man — has been found curled up in the ashes.

The researchers involved have yet to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal, which means that they haven’t presented evidence to be evaluated by experts not affiliated with a dig. Accordingly, everything must be taken with a grain of salt — it’s possible that any case these scientists make for tying the remains to a human sacrifice, if they try to make one at all, will be debunked by their colleagues.

But with that in mind, Ioannis Mylonopoulos of Columbia University — who wasn’t involved in the latest excavation — thinks the findings could be something special.

“If the preliminary date of the burial (11th century B.C.) suggested by the excavators is correct, then this is extremely significant,” Mylonopoulos said.

These wouldn’t be the first signs of human sacrifice among ancient Greeks, he added. Several other archaeologists have already found — and published peer-reviewed data on — skeletons that seem to suggest such rites took place. In this case, Mylonopoulos said, the skeleton’s lack of head (only its lower jaw was preserved) is “very suspicious” and could be a clue that some kind of ritual led to its demise.
Mystery bones could be a teenager sacrificed to Zeus - HeraldNet.com - Everett and Snohomish County news

They still have 90% to go.

This should be in the Religion section.

It's archeology.

 

[whitehall]

I love it when archaeologists rush to see who can fabricate the best scenario for a pile of bones and get their article in print first. I wouldn't mind if they used the same rules of evidence that are appropriate for a judicial action but they all seem to promote an unsubstantiated theory and build on it as if it was fact. It gets tenure as well as lucrative funding. There have been the equivalent of gold strikes in the archaeology world based on pick and shovel finds in the 20th century since the scientific community was fooled by the 1912 discovery of the Piltdown Man (which Charles Darwin dubbed the "missing link") but all in all the archaeology community has become nothing but characitures of the mythical Dr. Indie Jones. They even wear the same hats for God's sakes.