Archaeologists in Italy unearth ancient dolphin statuette
The discoveries date back to the fifth century BC.
Excavations in southern Italy have unearthed terracotta bull heads and a figurine of the Greek god Eros riding a dolphin.
The discoveries shine new light on the religious life and rituals of an ancient city, Italian culture ministry officials said.
Paestum, famed for its three massive Doric-columned temples, is near the archaeological site of Pompeii, but further down the Almalfi coast.
Excavations yielded several small terracotta figurines in the first months of resuming work, the
ministry added.
Archaeologists found seven bull heads found around a temple altar as if placed there on the ground in a gesture of devotion.
Limited excavations began at the temples in the 1950s, and the ministry believes more treasures can be found in the area.
Ancient Romans controlled the city by around 275 BC, renaming it Paestum from the Greek “Poseidonia”, in what had before been Magna Graecia.
