French Archaeologists Find Marcus Aurelius 'Head' (Petra)

Expatica ^ | 4-22-2004

[blam]

French archeologists find Marcus Aurelius 'head'

AMMAN, April 22 (AFP) - French archeologists have unearthed a perfectly preserved head of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius in the ancient Nabatean city of Petra south of Jordan, the head of the mission told AFP Thursday.

"A monumental white marble head, in excellent condition, belonging to a statue the emperor Marcus Aurelius was found in Petra by French archeologists," Christian Auge said.

The head of the 2nd century AD Roman leader who was also known as the "good emperor" or the "philosopher-king" was found in the Qasr al-Bint area of Petra, a Nabatean city famous for its rose-red temples dug in the rock.

Auge said the marble head was found in the "temenos", a sacred courtyard around the Qasr al-Bint, one of the main temples in Petra.

"It was found head down amid rubble resulting from the destruction of a monument that had been built on the western edge of the sacred courtyard," Auge said.

He said it must have fallen off a statue during an earthquake that struck the region in the 4th century.

The head is 50 centimeters (20 inches) high and 35 centimeters broad, or twice life size.

French archeologists have been working on the Qasr al-Bint site since 1999.

Last week they found one of the thumbs of Marcus Aurelius and last year they unearthed a foot which belonged to his statue.

They are financed by the French foreign ministry and the French national scientific research council and worked in cooperation with Jordanian authorities.

The Nabateans were Arabs who dominated the region during pre-Roman times but their growing economic and political power worried the Romans who dispatched a force to subdue Petra in 63 BC.

© AFP

[farmfriend]

Gods, Graves, Glyphs
List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this ping list.

[Tribune7]

If you get caught in an earthquake, try not to lose your head.

[texasflower]

Petra. What a beautiful place. I would love to go there sometime.

I've only seen pictures.

[Endeavor]

I got to go to Petra 25 years ago. Pretty incredible place.

[BenLurkin]

Interesting.

I have wondered for years about the Venus de Milo and if it could ever be restored.

But then, would our perception of her beauty be changed? Is it her current state that makes it so fascinating?

Kinda like the old philosophy course question: would the rose be as beautiful if it did not have thorns?

[xrp]

[blam]

"Petra. What a beautiful place. I would love to go there sometime. "

Me too.

[Oztrich Boy]

French archeologists have unearthed a perfectly preserved head of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius in the ancient Nabatean city of Petra

A perfectly preseved head. How many did he have?
Or is the head of an effigy maent?

[1rudeboy]

bttt

[cavan]

" try not to lose your head."

Don't lose your head
to save a minute
you need your head
your brains are in it
[Burma Shave]

[Russian Sage]

Meanwhile, French archeologists report that Jacques Chirac's head is still missing.

[SedVictaCatoni]

A perfectly preseved head. How many did he have?

Well, it is quite likely, judging from the article, that the quotation is not from a native English speaker. Consequently, he probably didn't know that we use the term 'bust' for a statuette of a human head, rather than 'head'.

[blam]

I can still remember when those Burma Shave signs were posted along the roadways.

[Moonmad27]

Interesting. However, the fact that they found a thumb reminds me of a Monty Python bit where they found a huge toe and reconstructed it completely wrong - as the "trunk" of a big prehistoric mammoth.

[CobaltBlue]

would the rose be as beautiful if it did not have thorns?

Speaking purely as a rose gardener, not as a philosopher, there are plenty of beautiful roses without thorns, or with teeny-tiny thorns like little stickers, and very thorny roses that aren't much to look at. Thorniness doesn't have anything to do with beauty in roses.

Not to mention all the beautiful flowers without thorns, like violets, lilies, peonies . . .

My guess is that this is a metaphor for beautiful women who laugh at philosophers, BWDIK?

[TexasTransplant]

My guess is that this is a metaphor for beautiful women who laugh at philosophers

 

How about, beautiful women philosphers who laugh at metaphors?. ;)  

[marsh2]

I bet I can tell you where his head is stuck....

[Psycho_Bunny]

I bet I can tell you where his head is stuck....

lol....with most Roman Emperors I'd agree however, Aurelius was a unique man holding an interesting position.

In the old "If you could meet anyone in history" question, I'd have to place him in the top 5.

I bet I can tell you where his head is stuck....

[Agamemnon]

Interesting. However, the fact that they found a thumb reminds me of a Monty Python bit where they found a huge toe and reconstructed it completely wrong - as the "trunk" of a big prehistoric mammoth.

There's some wisdom in that fiction. It sounds like something that those who consider themselves the largely agnostic "self-enlightened" might try to pass for "science" over on the "crevo" threads here on FR.