Bust of Greek God of Wine-Making Unearthed in England
Archaeologists have discovered an important artifact in Cockermouth, England – a bust of the ancient Greek deity Silenus associated with Dionysus.
Dionysus was an ancient Greek god who was related with various things such as grape harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. Silenus, who was known as the god of wine-making and drunkenness, was a companion and tutor of Dionysus.
Furthermore, the archaeologists also found that the steelyard weight was modeled after Silenus. This finding is just one piece of the puzzle that makes up the site, which dates back to the first century.
Roman craftsmanship and artistry
Officer Julie Shoemark expressed her happiness upon discovering an ancient artifact. She mentioned that this discovery is a remarkable one, as it is a magnificent example of Roman craftsmanship and artistry.
The weight’s size surprised Officer Shoemark, as weights of this type are typically smaller. Additionally, this particular weight depicts Silenus, making it even more unusual. Officer Shoemark has only come across one other weight like this.
Bob Slack, the landowner of the dig site, is interested in implementing flood defenses that can help protect the ancient settlement.
The site supervisor Eddie Dougherty explained that Cockermouth was a regional hub in the first and second centuries, leading to forts on the Cumbrian coast, extending to Whitehaven and Carlisle, and further east to Corbridge.
Dougherty believes that the implementation of flood defenses would be incredibly beneficial in safeguarding historical artifacts at the site.
He explained that if the area were to suffer from floods like those in 2015 and earlier, all the valuable information and discoveries at the site would be lost.
More important discoveries by the Ecus team
Led by their technical director Andy Crowson, the Ecus team also discovered evidence of a Roman road and house plots on a site in the southwest corner near a road. The Roman road appears to be heading towards a bridge across the River Derwent, explained Crowson.
Further excavations will be carried out over the next few weeks on the edge of the site, where they believe there may be a religious sanctuary. The team hopes to find objects used for private prayer and worship, such as figurines.
Most of the pottery found so far is Samian ware, which is known for its red color and fine quality, often depicting various scenes, stated Crowson.
The Ecus team was brought in by Mr. Slack, who is eager to install flood defenses in the area. Mr. Slack stated that planning would be subject to an archaeological dig, so arranging the excavation should speed up the process of applying for planning permission.
Before the excavation, a survey of the eight to 10-acre site was conducted to determine what was located underground and which areas to focus on. Subsequently, mechanical diggers were brought in to remove the top and subsoil, and archaeologists have been meticulously examining various areas since then.
Mr. Slack expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far, stating that the excavation had gone very smoothly and that the team had been fortunate with the weather.
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