The eight-meter-high statue, built in the fifth century BC, has been restored and reassembled and is on display in the Valley of the Temples.
An eight-meter statue of Atlas, built in the fifth century BC, was placed in Sicily. It lay for centuries in ancient ruins and underwent a 20-year restoration. The Guardian reported this.
Atlas is one of 38 statues supporting the Temple of Zeus in the Valley of the Temples. In Greek mythology, he was a titan or god who was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders after being defeated by Zeus.
“The Atlas will be one of the main monuments of the Valley of the Temples. Finally, we will be able to present this grand work to the international community,” said Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, a cultural heritage expert.
It is known that the statues were discovered in 1812 by Charles R. Cockerell, a young British architect who visited Agrigento to explore the ruins of the ancient city of Akragas, founded in 582 BC.
Cockerell was one of the first to realize that the massive piece of stone in the old Temple of Zeus was not part of the pediment of the sanctuary, but the head of a statue of Atlas. He later identified the rest of the statue.
According to archaeologists, the Atlas was located outside the Temple of Zeus, helping to support the roof of the sanctuary, and was never finished due to the war with Carthage. Later the temple was destroyed by earthquakes.
In 1920, the archaeologist Pirro Marconi excavated various artifacts, leading to the reconstruction of the first version of the statue, which is located in the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento.
In 2004, the Valley of the Temples park began a large-scale research campaign led by the German Archaeological Institute of Rome.
Today the Valley of the Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest archaeological park in the world. It covers an area of 1,600 hectares and contains the ruins of seven temples, city walls, entrance gates, an agora, a Roman forum, as well as necropolises and sanctuaries.
It was previously reported that a bronze dagger, more than 4,000 years old, was found in a forest near the city of Jaroslav on the San River in southeastern Poland.
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Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.