Posted on 01/26/2009 6:44:24 PM PST by nickcarraway
Israeli archaeologists say they have discovered a rare 1,800-year-old figurine in a Jerusalem excavation.
Dating from the time of the Roman Empire, the five-centimeter (2-inch) marble bust depicts the head of a man with a short curly beard and almond-shaped eyes.
A statement Monday from the Israel Antiquities Authority says nothing similar has been found before in the country.
The archaeologists believe it could depict an athlete, possibly a boxer. They think it was used as a weight and might have belonged to a merchant.
It was found in the ruins of a building destroyed by an earthquake in the fourth or fifth century. The dig outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City also recently yielded a well-preserved gold earring inlaid with pearls and a trove of more than 250 gold coins.
They could just as easily say it depicted an artist, musician, or whatever. They have no idea.
Found a picture at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28856259/
Ping
It’s missing an ear.
It is a statue of The One (piss be upon him).
(Boxer, indeed. He was a comedian. And a very caustic one, judging from his nose....)
It could be Roman maybe even Persian .I wish they had included a pic in the article.
Was a Mike Tyson figurine found nearby ?
Looks like a Centurion to me.
The broken nose? The cauliflower ear? He looks more like a wrestler to me.
Seriously, perhaps similar figurines or depictions on vases and the like indicate athletes.
Possibly i am leaning more towards vanity.
Yup, it’s a boxer alright. Look at those cabbage ears, LOL.
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks nickcarraway. This one is the older of the two, but I'm pinging it now because I hadn't got down that far on my pings screen. :'o |
||
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
Is that a terrible case of the tragedy of psoriasis or a beard?
Isn’t that the governor of NY?
Heartbreak Hotel is full of a virulent strain of that stuff.
If you even walk in the door, you leave with a case of the Heart Break Psoriasis.
Fox news just mentioned this on the radio.They said it is a weight used on a scale.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.