Las excavaciones llevadas a cabo por un equipo de la Universidad de Pensilvania (Estados Unidos) en el Monte Lykaion, en Arcadia, una región del Peloponeso griego, ha dado lugar a un hallazgo que podría explicar los orígenes de la religión en la Antigua Grecia. El doctor David Gilman Romano y su equipo han descubierto evidencias de que el culto al dios Zeus pudo nacer en el Monte Lykaion hace 3.200 años --entre el 1.390 y el 1.291 antes de Cristo--, durante la época de la civilización micénica en las tierras griegas. Si así fuera, Zeus sería una de las pocas herencias de dicha civilización que sobrevivieron a las migraciones dorias que se produjeron a finales del segundo milenio antes de Cristo.

Vía: OTR/PRESS, Atenas | InverNews.com, 3 de febrero de 2009

El poeta griego Calímaco escribió en el siglo IV antes de nuestra Era un largo himno al dios Zeus en el que se preguntaba '¿Cómo debemos cantar sobre él? ¿Cómo señor de Dicte o de Lykaion? Mi alma está en duda'. El doctor Gilman Romano, investigador de la sección mediterránea del Museo de la Universidad de Pensilvania, asegura que puede responder, en parte, a las dudas que en su día tuvo el poeta nacido en Cirene, la actual Libia, hace más de 2.300 años: a Zeus se le puede denominar señor del Monte Lykaion, porque es allí donde nació el culto al dios hace 3.200-3.400 años.

Las excavaciones arqueológicas que el investigador ha llevado a cabo en el Monte Lykaion en los últimos años parecen demostrar que el culto al 'rey' del panteón de la mitología griega se originó en este lugar, según informaciones del Museo de la Universidad de Pensilvania recogidas por otr/press. Las evidencias que confirmarían que Zeus 'nació' en el Peloponeso han sido halladas en la cima Sur del Monte, donde, según la mitología, vivió Pelasgo, hijo de Gea (la Tierra) primer hombre que habitó la Arcadia y padre de Licaón, que inició el culto a 'Zeus Lykaion', cuyo altar se hallaba en ese lugar.

All photographs © David Gilman Romano.

Cerca de una quincea de vasijas de origen micénico, junto a pequeñas figuras animales y humanas y otra miniatura de un hacha de doble filo aparecieron en aquel lugar. Los investigadores también encontraron allí huesos calcinados de animales, principalmente cabras y ovejas, otro indicador de los sacrificios que se llevaban a cabo en el lugar en honor a Zeus. "Esta nueva evidencia sugiere con contundencia que libaciones y fiestas tenían lugar en lo alto de la montaña" durante el periodo micénico de la civilización arcaica griega "entre 3.300 y 3.400 años" antes de la época actual.

Rastros micénicos

Uno de los hechos más llamativos de este importante hallazgo arqueológico es que se trata de una de las pocas evidencias del mundo griego que demuestran que rasgos de la civilización micénica sobrevivieron a la llegada de los dorios. Este pueblo, cuyo origen todavía se discute -aunque se especula con la posibilidad de que proviniesen de los Balcanes- sacudió por completo la vida en el Egeo, hasta tal punto que su migración -o invasión, otro aspecto en discusión por los historiadores- eliminó la mayor parte de rastros de la civilización micénica, el mayor periodo de esplendor de la Grecia arcaica.

Este periodo, entre XIV y XII siglos antes de nuestra Era, coincide con la escritura Lineal B, en el que cada uno de los signos representa a una sílaba y que precedió al posterior idioma griego, según algunas hipótesis. De hecho, se han encontrado documentos escritos con este tipo de signos que mencionan a Zeus como una deidad recibiendo las ofrendas de los mortales. Otras pruebas mencionan un altar a cielo abierto y un 'temenos' (o terreno sagrado sin más construcción que un pequeño altar donde depositar las ofrendas al dios) que bien podría ser el Monte Lykaion.

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NEW EVIDENCE FROM EXCAVATIONS IN ARCADIA, GREECE, SUPPORTS THEORY O...

Project Field Director David Gilman Romano Offers Update at January 27 Lecture "The Search for Zeus: The Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project"

© 2009 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

JANUARY 2009—In the third century BCE, the Greek poet Callimachus wrote a 'Hymn to Zeus' asking the ancient, and most powerful, Greek god whether he was born in Arcadia on Mt. Lykaion or in Crete on Mt. Ida.

Photos: Left, Dan Diffendale, research assistant, Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project, in the ash altar of Zeus trench, at the discovery of a group of Mycenaean kylikes, circa 13th century BCE. Summer 2008. Right, a small bronze hand of Zeus holding a silver lightning bolt (approximately 2 cm), circa 500 BCE, excavated at the ash altar of Zeus, Mt. Lykaion, Summer 2008.

A Greek and American team of archaeologists working on the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project believe they have at least a partial answer to the poet’s query. New excavation evidence indicates that Zeus' worship was established on Mt. Lykaion as early as the Late Helladic period, if not before, more than 3,200 years ago. According to Dr. David Gilman Romano, Senior Research Scientist, Mediterranean Section, University of Pennsylvania Museum, and one of the project’s co-directors, it is likely that a memory of the cult's great antiquity survived there, leading to the claim that Zeus was born in Arcadia.

Dr. Romano will present his team’s new discoveries—and their implications for our understanding of the beginnings of ancient Greek religion—at a free public lecture, The Search for Zeus: The Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project, Tuesday, January 27, 6 p.m. in the Rainey Auditorium of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Reservations (suggested) may be made online through the Museum calendar (www.museum.upenn.edu), or by calling 215/898-4890.

New evidence to support the ancient myth that Zeus was born on Mt. Lykaion in Arcadia has come from a small trench from the southern peak of the mountain, known from the historical period as the ash altar of Zeus Lykaios. Over fifty Mycenaean drinking vessels, or kylikes, were found on the bedrock at the bottom of the trench along with fragments of human and animal figurines and a miniature double headed axe. Also found were burned animal bones, mostly of goats and sheep, another indication consistent with Mycenaean cult activity.

“This new evidence strongly suggests that there were drinking (and perhaps feasting) parties taking place on the top of the mountain in the Late Helladic period, around 3,300 or 3,400 years ago,” said Dr. Romano.

In mainland Greece there are very few if any Mycenaean mountain-top altars or shrines. This time period — 14th-13th centuries BC — is approximately the same time that documents inscribed with a syllabic script called Linear B (an archaic form of the Greek language) first mention Zeus as a deity receiving votive offerings. Linear B also provides a word for an 'open fire altar' that might describe this altar on Mt. Lykaion as well as a word for a sacred area, temenos, a term known from later historical sources. The shrine on Mt. Lykaion is characterized by simple arrangements: an open air altar and a nearby sacred area, or temenos, which appears to have had no temple or other architectural feature at any time at this site.

Evidence from subsequent periods in the same trench indicate that cult activity at the altar seems to have continued uninterrupted from the Mycenaean period down through the Hellenistic period (4th – 2nd centuries BCE), something that has been documented at very few sites in the Greek world. Miniature bronze tripods, silver coins, and other dedications to Zeus including a bronze hand of Zeus holding a silver lightning bolt, have been found in later levels in the same trench. Zeus as the god of thunder and lightning is often depicted with a lightning bolt in his hand.


Also found in the altar trench was a sample of fulgurite or petrified lightning. This is a glass-like substance formed when lightning strikes sandy soil. It is not clear if the fulgurite was formed on the mountain-top or if it was brought to the site as a dedication to Zeus. Evidence for earlier activity at the site of the altar, from the Final Neolithic and the Early and Middle Helladic periods, continues to be found.

The Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project is a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia, the University of Arizona, and the Greek Archaeological Service in Tripolis, Greece. Project directors are Dr. Romano, Dr. Mary Voyatzis of the University of Arizona, and Dr. Michalis Petropoulos, Ephor of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquties of the Greek Archaeological Service in Tripolis. The project is under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Investigations at the Sanctuary of Zeus also include excavations and survey of a number of buildings and monuments from the lower sanctuary where athletic contests were held as a part of the festival for Zeus in the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. These include a hippodrome, stadium, stoa, bath, xenon (hotel building) and fountain house. The Project, which began in 2004, will continue in the summer 2009. Further information about the research project can be found at the project website:

Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project

Support for the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project comes from a number of foundations including the Karabots Foundation, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the 1984 Foundation, the Niarchos Program for the Promotion of the Hellenic Heritage at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as from numerous individual donors.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South Street on the University of Pennsylvania's campus in Philadelphia, is dedicated to the study and understanding of human history and diversity. Founded in 1887, Penn Museum has sent more than 400 archaeological and anthropological expeditions to all the inhabited continents of the world. With an active exhibition schedule and educational programming for children and adults, the Museum offers the public an opportunity to share in the ongoing discovery of humankind’s collective heritage. The Museum can be found on the worldwide web at www.museum.upenn.edu. For general information call 215/898-4000.