Unexplored 2,500-year-old sacred lake discovered in Italy

A sacred lake used by the ancient Phoenicians for religious purposes and to track the movements of the stars has been discovered in the old Italian island city of Motya, according to a new study published in the journal Antiquity. .

The study offers a new interpretation of a man-made basin, known as the 'kothon', on the old island city of Motya in western Sicily, present-day Italy. According to the lead researcher - Archaeologist Lorenzo Nigro of Sapienza University, the structure is not a military harbor as previously explained but a "sacred lake with astronomical monitoring functions, located in the heart of a monumental reserve". The discovery sheds light on the ancient Phoenician culture and their connection to nature.

Location of the sacred lake on the map.

Kothon (term used by Greek and Latin authors) was originally discovered in the early 1920s, dating from 550 to 397 BC. At first, archaeologists thought it was a man-made harbor. This thinking arose from the fact that a similar structure existed in Carthage that functioned as a military port.

However, new research disproves this age-old interpretation, arguing that the 2,500-year-old structure is in fact a sacred lake, making it one of the largest lakes found in the Mediterranean region. Trung Hai.

Excavations at the site from 2002 to 2010 led to the discovery of the Temple of Ba'al. The temple is found along the edge of the kothon, believed to be in honor of the gods of Phoenicia. The discovery of a temple near what is believed to be a military harbor has left researchers wondering. As a result, they have worked tirelessly for decades to delve deeper into the area. The team had to drain and excavate the basin, which is 172 feet (52.5 meters) long and 119 feet (36.25 meters) wide. This is larger than an Olympic-sized pool.

"Kathon" was drained during excavation

"We excavated the stratigraphy layer by layer to reconstruct the complex history of the area and discovered it was inherently connected to a natural spring aquifer," says Nigro. Indeed, as excavations have revealed, the kothon is not thought to be connected to the sea, instead, the water here is supplied by natural springs. Therefore, the assumption that this place used to be a seaport is completely baseless.

More importantly, the archaeologists also discovered a temple near the lake, a structure dedicated to the Phoenician goddess Astarte, and a third building labeled "Reserve of the Holy Waters of the Holy Waters." ". Burial stones, altars, objects of worship and pedestals in the center of the tank were also discovered. The pedestal still has traces of the foot of a tall statue that once stood on top. Scientists believe that this statue represents the god Baal. Summing up the evidence, the team concluded that the lake was the center of a religious reserve.

But that's not all. A map of the lake shows it properly aligned with the positions of the stars and is used to track celestial movements. Specifically, the researchers write:

"The surface of the water is like a large screen, which can be used for astronomical observations by using the poles to mark the positions of stars reflected in the water, allowing celestial objects to be observed and measured. as well as their angle with respect to the horizon".

Nigro said the extraordinary discovery made him very excited: 'The fact that the ancient Phoenicians intended to harmonize their lives with the universe and nature… To them, the gods were the stars. and nature is the inspiration in life".

After excavation, the tub was refilled with water and the restored statue was placed on a central pedestal.

The redefinition of the kothon and its characterization gives present-day humanity more knowledge of the ancient Phoenicians, a civilization that lasted from about 2500 BC to 64 BC, when the leader Pompey conquered Phoenicia. According to Nigro, the new findings show that the Phoenicians 'used this religious complex as a place to mix and exchange traditional cultures as well as bring together different Mediterranean cultures'. However, this openness came at a heavy cost leading to the siege of Motya in 398-397 BC.

After completing the excavation work, Nigro's team refilled the basin and placed a statue of Baal on a pedestal. Everything has been restored, reminiscent of the sacred place that existed many years ago.