Ancient Sites Photo Gallery
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Jordan, Petra - Ed DeirThis is Ed Deir, one of the 'high places' of Petra. There's a rock cut path, you have to climb about 800 steps above Cardo level to get there, but worth it. Early Western visitors called it 'the Monastery', which perhaps it was during Byzantine times, originally though, a Nabataean temple (not a tomb).Abu Galyon
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Jordan, Petra - KhasnehOK, it’s the photograph every visitor to Petra takes: the first sight of the Kasneh framed by the dark canyon of the Siq. But the view is breathtaking, so who can resist? Abu Galyon
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Jordan, Jerash - Temple of ArtemisArtemis was the patron goddess of Gerasa, and the temple dedicated to her was one of the city’s grandest monuments. It was reached by ascending an imposing processional Sacred Way, starting from the Cardo. The temple was built during the mid 2nd-century CE and worship continued there until suppressed by Theodosius around 391. Afterwards, in Byzantine times, part of the Sacred Way was converted into a church (the ‘Propylaeum Church’) and the temple courtyard was used as a pottery workshop, while the naos itself was left to crumble quietly away. Abu Galyon
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Jordan, Jerash - NymphaeumGerasa’s Nymphaeum is quite well preserved and must have been spectacular in its prime. Originally there would have been a half-dome covering the top and each niche would have contained a statue. Note the holes in the lower level niches: the sculptures here would have also served as decorative water conduits to fill the basin underneath. Abu Galyon
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Jordan, Jerash - Oval PlazaJerash is ancient Gerasa in Jordan, one of the Decapolis cities. The superb Oval Plaza stands at one end of the Cardo.Abu Galyon
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Jordan, GadaraPart of an early Byzantine church complex at Umm Qais in north-west Jordan. Umm Qais is ancient Gadara of the Decapolis (as in the 'Gadarene swine' of Matthew 8:28-34). The city is built from a mixture of white limestone and dark basalt, often mixed together, which gives some of the buildings a curious chess-board look.Abu Galyon
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Jordan, Amman - AcropolisAmman in Jordan was ancient Philadelphia, a Decapolis town. Not much remains of the (second-century CE) Temple of Heracles which once dominated the city's acropolis, but the surviving columns are impressively large. Heracles also features prominently on Philadelphia's coinage.Abu Galyon
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Jordan, MachaerusMachaerus is in central Jordan, not far from the Dead Sea. It's one of Herod the Great's hilltop desert fortresses. Not as well-known or impressive as Masada perhaps, but Machaerus has it's own claim to fame: according to Josephus, Machaerus is where John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed.Abu Galyon
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New World, Peru 1That's me, standing close to the stones, just to give the size...Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 1.5More Cyclopean Stones with Sheri showing their size...Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 9The Temple of the Sun, the only round structure found here, is reported to have the finest stonework at the site.Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 8A grand vista of the Inca ruin...Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 7Machu Picchu, at last! Words cannot describe the near-unworldly vistas seen here. The viewer is overcome with the stillness, and the grand edifices that seem to mock you from the distant past. The clouds and mists gather and then retreat, hiding and then revealing, awesome views of the surrounding forested peaks. Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 6Getting artsy in B/W photos, we treked up a long trail through dense rainforest to get this first glimpse of the ancient ruin...Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 5I have been truly blessed to have had the opportunity to explore many remakable places around the world...but so far, this one takes the cake. Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 4The Urubamba River on the way to somewhere very special... The Urubamba Valley was the Bread-basket of the Inca Empire where an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables were produced including pineapples, no less!Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 15Me and Sheri hamming it up! That's a wrap! Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 14That's me again, pointing out that "You can't put a knife-blade between these stones..." LOL!Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 13Still exploring, with another grand vista of the Urubamba River Valley seen in the distance far below...Mayadigger
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New World, Peru 12An excellent example of ancient Inca stonework; note that there is no mortar, nor is none necessary.Mayadigger
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New World, PeruThe ancient walls of the huge 15th Cent. Inca fortress known as Sacsayhuaman, elevation 12,000 feet above sea level. The fortress was incomplete at the time of the Spanish conquest. Most of the smaller wrought stones were removed by the Spanish invaders to build homes and cathedrals in the ancient Inca Capital of Cuzco in the valley 1,000 feet below. The existant stones seen in the photo, weighing many 1,000's of tons, were too large for the invaders to easily to remove, and they remain in situe.Mayadigger
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Turkey, Perga - Roman BathsThe hot room (caldarium); some traces of the original marble flooring are visible at the far end. Underneath, a well-preserved hypocaust of slightly unusual design, based on pilae tiles formed into arches rather than the more common upright stacks. Abu Galyon
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Turkey, Nymphaeum of PergeThe monumental fountain or nymphaeum of Perga consists of a wide pool, and behind it a two-storeyed richly worked facade. From its inscription, it is apparent that the structure was dedicated to Artemis Pergaia, Septimius Severus, his wife Julia Domna, and their sons. An inscription belonging to the facade, various facade fragments, and marble statues of Septimius Severus and his wife, all found in excavations of the nymphaeum, are now in the Antalya Museum.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Perga - Collonaded StreetPart of the wide (20m) colonnaded boulevard which runs almost the whole length of the lower city (over 500m), testimony to Perge’s importance as a commercial centre. In antiquity both sides of the street would have been lined with fancy shops, and the ‘shopping experience’ was enhanced by an ornamental water canal running down the middle of the road, fed from the nymphaeum which you can see at the far end. Beyond the nymphaeum is the path leading up to the city’s acropolis. Abu Galyon
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Turkey, Perga - Agora (Shop Sign)Hidden away in one corner of the agora is this rather delightful trading sign. The meat hook and knife presumably indicate that this location was a butcher’s shop. Abu Galyon
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Turkey, Perga - AgoraPerge’s principal market square is a substantial space (sides approximately 75m) dating mostly from the 2nd century CE and colonnaded on all four sides. At its centre is a small circular temple (just over 13m diameter) of uncertain dedication: presumably either Hermes or (perhaps more likely) Tyche. Abu Galyon
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Turkey, Pergamum - TheatreThe Hellenistic theatre at Pergamum is extraordinary. It’s built into a steep hill-side, in close proximity to the city’s famous altar of Zeus, as well as to temples dedicated to Athena and Dionysus. But the constraints of the chosen site meant that the theatre could not take the ‘normal’ Greek shape (rather more than a semi-circle). Instead, to fit in the required number of seats, the cavea was extended vertically: there are 78 rows. The result is vertiginous. Abu Galyon
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Turkey, Ruins of the main street in Perga, capital of Pamphylia, Asia Minor.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamphylia. 23 February 2006. Joe Sermarini
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Italy, Rome, PantheonM AGRIPPA COS TERTIVM FECIT
The original Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa and later restored and rebuilt by Hadrian added and engineered the worlds largest unsupported domed roof. He kept the original dedication to Agrippa. A marvel of engineering and a sight to see.Jay GT4
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Italy, Rome, Pantheon insideInterior view of Hadrian's dome and ocular center. An engeneering masterpiece, the concrete gets thinner as it rises. The open ocular in the center allows light to flood into this massive ancient space. The walls at the bottom are about 12 feet thick. The interior is completely ancient from the marble floors to the walls and dome. Origianlly dedicated to all the god's it is now a Catholic church.Jay GT4
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Italy, Rome, Colosseum 1Posted by Strength And Honour.
Photo taken by my friend Hebe.
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Italy, Rome, View from the ColosseumOn the left the Palatine Hill, the Via Sacra and Titus' Arch.
On the right Maxentius' Basilica
Posted by Strength And Honour.
Photo taken by my friend Hebe.
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Israel, CaesareaThe ancient Roman port of Caesarea Maritima in Judaea (now Israel). This port was built by Herod the Great in the 1st century BCE. The view is of a portion of the aquaduct that brought water from the Carmel, just south of Haifa.Daniel F
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Israel, MasadaThe ancient fortress in the Judaean desert built by Herod the Great in the first century BCE, it was the last stronghold of a small group of zealots against Rome in the year 73 CE. The view is from the top of the fortress, looing down on the remains of the ancient roman encampment.Daniel F
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Greece, Athens, The Pnyx - outer stone retaining wall.The home of democracy, the Pnyx was rebuilt and expanded in the 3rd quarter of the 4th century B.C., probably around 345-335 B.C. A massive, curved, retaining wall was built, as seen in this image. The steps of the old walkway from the Agora are visible and overbuilt by the retaining wall. Great Athenians such as Themistocles, Pericles and Socrates wolud have walked ths path and steps in the heady days of the zenith Athenian democracy.
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France, Orange - Triumphal ArchIt was built on the former via Agrippa to honor the veterans of the Gallic Wars and Legio II Augusta. It was later reconstructed by emperor Tiberius to celebrate the victories of Germanicus over the German tribes in Rhineland.pax
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Greece, Delos - On the Ascent of Mt Kinthos
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Greece, Delos - On the Ascent to the Summit of Mt KinthosThis sort of material is to be found everywhere on the site of ancient Delos.
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Greece, Olympia in SpringA magical site at any time, but resplendent in Spring!
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Scotland, Antonine Wall, Distance SlabThese inscribed stones, known as distance slabs, are unique in the Roman Empire. They celebrate the work of the legions which constructed the Antonine Wall in Scotland. Evidence suggests that the slabs, all made of local sandstone, were set into stone frames along the length of the Wall and are likely to have faced South into the Empire.
Nineteen of these slabs are known of so far, the elaborate carving on many of them celebrating the culmination of a successful campaign by the triumphant Roman army.
IMP C T AE HADRIANO ANTONINO AVG PIO P P VEX LEG XX VV FEC PP IIII CDXI
"For the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of his Country, a detachment of the Twentieth Valient and Victorious Legion built this over a distance of 4411 feet"
This slab was found at Old Kirkpatrick, West Dunbartonshire and is now in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow.*Alex
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Turkey, İncealiler - Termessos ad OenoandaOenoanda in the upper valley of the Xanthus River, was a colony of Termessos Major, and was also called Termessos Minor. The ruins of the city lie west of the modern village Ä°ncealiler in the Fethiye district of MuÄŸla Province, Turkey, which partly overlies the ancient site. An extensive inscription of Diogenes of Oenoanda has been identified from over 300 scattered fragments, apparently from the stoa, varying in size from a few letters to passages of several sentences covering more than one block. The inscription sets out Epicurus' teachings on physics, epistemology, and ethics. It was originally about 25,000 words long and filled 260 square meters of wall. The stoa was dismantled in the second half of the third century A.D. to make room for a defensive wall; previously the site had been undefended.
By Ansgar Bovet - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18861664Joe Sermarini
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Greece, Athens - Entrance to the Athens Numismatic MuseumThe former mansion of noted amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. What was inside those doors was truly marvelous.
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Greece, Sounion - The Temple of PoseidonNot so ancient graffiti!
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Greece, Athens, Acropolis, Parthenon, North West Corner of the Parthenon
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France, Nemausus - BollardNîmes was founded by Augustus, with veterans from his Egyptian campaigns. The coin-type with the crocodile chained to a palm is famous, and still used by Nîmes as its coat of arms today. Here it appears on one of the (modern) bollards set up around the ancient amphitheatre.Syltorian
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France, Nemausus - Tour MagnePart of the city walls of Nemausus, this is a massive Roman watch-tower with an octagonal base and a round top, it's 32 meters high now, and had another 4 meters in ancient times. Syltorian
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France, Nemausus - Crocodile FountainThis fountain is not ancient, but represents the famous coin-type of the ancient city of Nemausus, showing a crocodile chained to a palm-tree. Syltorian
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France, Nemausus - Relief on the AmphitheatreThis relief is found above one of the arches of the ancient amphitheatre of Nemausus. It's rather worn, but two gladiators can still be seen. Syltorian
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France, Nemausus - AmphitheatreThe Roman amphitheatre of the Colonia Nemausus still stands. On the top, holed stones for holding the velum can be seen. The "Arènes" are still in use today, mainly for bull fights as the more modern statue in front shows. Syltorian
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.Italica is famous for its Mosaic floors. This is from the house of Neptunus. Who knows, perhaps Trajanus was born at this very Place? May, 2002.jmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.Detail showing Neptunus himself. Floor of the house of Neptunus. May, 2002.jmuona
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Israel, Nazareth - Rolling Stone TombA really well-preserved example of a Jewish rolling-stone tomb. This one is part of a small necropolis which was found underneath the Convent of the Sisters of Nazareth, only a stone’s throw away from the Basilica of the Annunciation. Abu Galyon
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Italy, National Museum Naples, Marble bust of Hannibal from CapuaA marble bust, reputedly of Hannibal, originally found at the ancient city-state of Capua in Italy (some historians are uncertain of the authenticity of the portrait). From Phaidon Verlag (Wien-Leipzig) - "Römische Geschichte", gekürzte Ausgabe (1932). Author died more than 70 years ago - public domain.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Metropolis, Ionia from the EastMetropolis was on the road between Smyrna and Ephesus. Neolithic, Hittite, Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods are represented at the site. Metropolis was a part of the Kingdom of Pergamum during the Hellenistic period, the time when the city reached a zenith of cultural and economic life. Metropolis had a temple dedicated to Ares, one of only two known dedicated to the war god. Strabo wrote that the district produced excellent wine. The ruins are of a Hellenistic city heavily Romanized, with Byzantine remains laid across it – a church to the east of the city, and fortification walls laid across city that connect to the Hellenistic defenses on the Acropolis. Excavations began in 1989. A Hellenistic marble seat of honor with griffins was found in the Ancient Theater. The original seat is in the Ä°zmir Archeological Museum and a replica has been placed at the site.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(Anatolia)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metropolis_from_the_east.jpg
By David Hill (DiaboloDave), 2003.
Released to the public domain.
Joe Sermarini
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Sudan, Island of Meroe - Archaeological Site - Pyramids of Meroe - Northern CemeterySudan, Island of Meroe - Archaeological Site - Pyramids of Meroe - Northern Cemetery
by Ron Van Oers, 2017 © UNESCO
https://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/114973
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%ABJoe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.Statue of Mercury.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Israel, Megiddo / Jezreel ValleyA view of the Jezreel Valley in the distance looking out from atop Tel Megiddo. The Jezreel Valley will be the site of the final battle between the armies of God and Satan as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. This photo was taken in June 2012 during a two week trip my wife and I took to Israel and Jordan.
cmcdon0923
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Turkey, Istanbul - Medusa's marble headIn the Underground Cistern, was taken from Tarsus in ancient times.
May 2011FlaviusDomitianus
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Israel, Masada - Walls facing the Roman Seige Ramp
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Israel, Masada - Walls and Roman Seige Ramp in side view
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Israel, Masada - The room in which lots were drawnIn this space during archaeological excavations were found eleven ostroca bearing names in Aramaic script. One of eleven inscribed potsherds (ostraca) containing single names, bears in Aramaic script the name ben Ya’ir, undoubtedly Eleazar ben Ya’ir, leader of Masada’s defenders. The historian Josephus relates that when defense against the Romans seemed hopeless, the men at Masada cast lots to decide the order in which they and their families would commit suicide.
Based on the archaeological evidence it is likely that this was the space in which the lots were drawn and the fateful determinations made.
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Israel, Masada - Roman Encampment and Seige RampLooking down on the stone wall outlines of one of the Roman encampments (middle upper right) that surrounded the fortress of Masada (another of Herod's Palaces in its glory days). The Roman seige ramp is to the lower left.
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Israel, Masada - pile of ancient catapult projectiles - Ouch!
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France, Nimes - Maison CarreeThe Maison carrée is an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best-preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire. It is a mid-sized Augustan provincial temple of the Imperial cult, a caesareum.
The Maison carrée inspired the neoclassical Église de la Madeleine in Paris, St. Marcellinus Church in Rogalin, Poland, and in the United States the Virginia State Capitol, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson, who had a stucco model made of the Maison carrée while he was minister to France in 1785.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maison_carr%C3%A9e
In September 2023, the Maison carrée of Nîmes was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, LystraLystra has never been excavated, so the mound you’re looking at is a typical Middle Eastern ‘tel’. However, an inscription was found here (now displayed in the Konya Archaeological Museum) which makes the site identification secure. Lystra has significant New Testament links: Barnabas and Paul while visiting Lystra were mistaken for gods [Acts 14:6ff] and Paul’s companion Timothy was born here [Acts 16:1]. Abu Galyon
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Italy, Rome, Ludus Magnus GladiatorumPosted by Strength And Honour.
Photo taken by my friend Hebe.
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New World, Maya, Lubaantun, Belize, Sign ruinsThe small site of Lubaantun is found in the remote rain forests of Southern Belize. One of the most interesting bits about this ruin is that the Maya did not use mortar between the building stones. Very rare...never saw it before or since.Mayadigger
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New World, Maya, Lubaantun, Belize, Sign ruins closeMayadigger - Note the lack of mortar...very cool!Mayadigger
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Morocco, LixusLixus is the site of an ancient Roman city located in Morocco just north of the modern seaport of Larache on the bank of the Loukkos River. The location was one of the main cities of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana .
Ancient Lixus is located on Tchemmich Hill on the right bank of the Loukkos River (other names: Oued Loukous; Locus River), just to the north of the modern seaport of Larache. The site lies within the urban perimeter of Larache, and about three kilometers inland from the mouth of the river and the Atlantic ocean. From its 80 meters above the plain the site dominates the marshes through which the river flows. To the north, Lixus is surrounded by hills which themselves are bordered to the north and east by a forest of cork oaks.
Among the ruins there are Roman baths, temples, 4th century walls, a mosaic floor, a Christian church and the intricate and confusing remains of the Capitol Hill.
Lixus was first settled by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC and was later annexed by Carthage. Lixus was part of a chain of Phoenician/Carthaginian settlements along the Atlantic coast of modern Morocco; other major settlements further to the south are Chellah (called Sala Colonia by the Romans) and Mogador. When Carthage fell to Ancient Rome, Lixus, Chellah and Mogador became imperial outposts of the Roman province Mauretania Tingitana.
The ancient sources agree to make of Lixus a counter Phoenician, which is confirmed by the archaeological discovery of material dating from 8th century BC. It gradually grew in importance, later coming under Carthaginian domination. After the destruction of Carthage, Lixus fell to Roman control and was made an imperial colony, reaching its zenith during the reign of the emperor Claudius I (AD 41-54).
Some ancient Greek writers located at Lixus the mythological garden of the Hesperides, the keepers of the golden apples. The name of the city was often mentioned by writers from Hanno the Navigator to the Geographer of Ravenna, and confirmed by the legend on its coins and by an inscription. The ancients believed Lixus to be the site of the Garden of the Hesperides and of a sanctuary of Hercules, where Hercules gathered gold apples, more ancient than the one at Cadiz, Spain. However, there are no grounds for the claim that Lixus was founded at the end of the second millennium BC.
Lixus flourished during the Roman Empire, mainly when Claudius established a Roman Colonia with full rights for the citizens. Lixus was one of the few Roman cities in Berber Africa that enjoyed an amphitheater: the amphitheater at Lixus. In the third century Lixus become nearly fully Christian and there are even now the ruins of a paleochristian church overlooking the archeological area. The Arab invasions destroyed the Roman city. Some berber life was maintained there nevertheless until one century after the Islamic conquest of North Africa by the presence of a mosque and a house with patio with the covered walls of painted stuccos.
The site was excavated continuously from 1948 to 1969. In the 1960s, Lixus was restored and consolidated. In 1989, following an international conference which brought together many scientists, specialists, historians and archaeologists of the Mediterranean around the history and archaeology of Lixus, the site was partly enclosed. Work was undertaken to study the Roman mosaics of the site, which constitute a very rich unit. In addition to the vestiges interesting to discover the such mosaics whose one of sixty meters representing Poseidon. Lixus was on a surface of approximately 75 hectares (190 acres). The excavated zones constitute approximately 20% of the total surface of the site.
This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on July 1, 1995 in the Cultural category.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.Bust attributed to Livia.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Greece, Amphipolis, Lion of Amphipolis - Via Egnatia, west side of the Strymonas riverAmphipolis is best known for being a magnificent ancient Greek polis (city), and later a Roman city, whose impressive remains can still be seen. It is famous in history for events such as the battle between the Spartans and Athenians in 422 B.C., and also as the place where Alexander the Great prepared for campaigns leading to his invasion of Asia. Alexander's three finest admirals, Nearchus, Androsthenes and Laomedon, resided in this city and it is also the place where, after Alexander's death, his wife Roxane and their small son Alexander IV were exiled and later murdered. Excavations in and around the city have revealed important buildings, ancient walls and tombs. The finds are displayed at the archaeological museum of Amphipolis. At the nearby vast Kasta burial mound, an important ancient Macedonian tomb has recently been revealed. The unique and beautiful "Lion of Amphipolis" monument nearby is a popular destination for visitors.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Loewe_von_Amphipolis.jpg
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
Date 16 June 2018
Author Neptuul Joe Sermarini
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Italy, Rome, Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano, Roman bronze doorsThe original bronze doors of the Temple of Divus Romulus still survive and are pictured above. They are set between two porphyry columns that support a reused marble architrave and open into a rotunda fifty Roman feet in diameter covered by a cupola which is accessible from the rear through the Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano. The temple was converted into a vestibule for the church early in the 6th century.*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya Province, Limyra - TheaterLimyra was a small city in Lycia on the southern coast of Asia Minor, on the Limyrus River, about 5 1/2 KM from the mouth of that river. The ruins are about 5 km northeast of the town of Finike (ancient Phoenicus) in Antalya Province, Turkey. It was a prosperous city, and one of the oldest cities in Lycia. It had rich and abundant soil, and gradually became one of the finest trade settlements in Greece. Pericles adopted it as the capital of the Lycian League. The city came under control of the Persian Empire after it was conquered by Cyrus the Great. He later annexed Lydia and its territories after a decisive victory at the Battle of Thymbra and the Siege of Sardis, where he defeated armies twice as large as his. Cyrus then got his greatest general: Harpagus of Media to conquer the much smaller kingdoms in Anatolia, while he went to conquer the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Anatolia would become an important place for the Persian monarchs who succeeded Cyrus. The massive Royal road constructed by Darius went from the Persian capital of Persepolis, to the Anatolian city of Sardis. Limyra would stay under Persian control until it was conquered and sacked by Alexander the Great. It is mentioned by Strabo (XIV, 666), Ptolemy (V, 3, 6) and several Latin authors. Gaius Caesar, adopted son of Augustus, died there (Velleius Paterculus, II, 102). Ruins consist of a theater, tombs, sarcophagi, bas-reliefs, Greek and Lycian inscriptions etc. About 3 km east of the site is the Roman Bridge at Limyra, one of the oldest segmented arch bridges of the world.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LimyraTheater1.jpg
Photo by Kpisimon, 8 May 1988
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 UnportedJoe Sermarini
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Scotland, Roughcastle Roman Fort, LiliaLilia, which have been found at eight different locations along the 39 miles of the Antonine Wall, are part of its defensive system. The defensive line would have consisted of the ditch, the wall and these lilia, which you might call the ancient Roman equivalent of a minefield.
These deep pits, which would have had something like a sharpened stake in the centre of them, were known as lilia because they apparently reminded the Romans of lilies. They are shown on Trajan's column in Rome and were also described by Julius Caesar in his Gallic Wars.
The lilia pictured above are at the Roman fort of Roughcastle, on the Antonine Wall, a few miles west of Falkirk. *Alex
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Greece, Lesbos, Messa: The pan-Lesbian sanctuary of Messa, Lesbos (probably of Aphrodite).The pan-Lesbian sanctuary of Messon, at the center of the island, was established in early historic times and served as the seat of the Lesbian Koinon (Commonwealth). The temple had eight columns on the short sides and 14 on the long sides. Most of the temple was built of white volcanic rock. Marble was selectively used for the decorative elements. The cella walls were made of reddish volcanic rock. The temple was probably destroyed by an earthquake in the 3rd or 4th century A.D. Seven kilns from that period were found in the area. Architectural members of the temple were used to build the kilns, which were then probably used to burn other parts of the temple for lime production.
Photo by Tedmek 20 Jun 2010, released to Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesbos_Messa01.JPGLondon
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France, La Turbie - Trophée des AlpesThis Augustan trophy towers over the French Riviera and Monaco. It celebrates Augustus' pacification of the Alps and his victory over 45 tribes. (also mentioned by Pliny, Nat. Hist. III,136-137) Pity about the rainy weather when this photograph was taken.
Syltorian
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Turkey, near Denizli, Laodicea on the LycusLaodicea on the Lycus was an ancient city built on the river Lycus (Curuksu), in Lydia, later the Roman Province of Phrygia Pacatiana. It contained one of the Seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. It is now near the modern city of Denizli. In 2013 the archaeological site was identified as a of World Heritage Site. The existing remains attest to its former greatness. Its many buildings include a stadium, baths, temples, a gymnasium, theaters, and a bouleuterion (Senate House). On the eastern side, the line of the ancient wall may be distinctly traced, with the remains of the Ephesus gate; there are streets traversing the town, flanked by colonnades and numerous pedestals. North of the town, towards the Lycus, are many sarcophagi, with their covers lying near them, partly embedded in the ground, and all having been long since rifled.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laodicea_(2).JPG
Photo by Rjdeadly, 16 May 2012Joe Sermarini
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New World, Maya, Lamanai, BelizeMayadigger - Lamanai, "Submerged Crocodile" in Maya, is a truly pristine and very remote ancient Maya city. In this case we, took a small boat up a long, turgid river. It can be reached by "road", read 50 mile muddy track. I know, we did it a few years later and never again. In ancient days, Lamanai owed its wealth to being a trade center centrally located between the vast Maya cities of Tikal, Altun Ha, Caracol, and Copan. Killer ruins...but do not forget your bug spray!Mayadigger
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New World, Maya, Lamanai, BelizeMayadigger - Here I am "discovering" an ancient Maya pyramid in the ruins at Lamanai. As seen, it's being recovered from the rain forest by archeologists. This particular structure ia about 80 feet tall. What makes Lamanai unique is that it was the longest inhabited city in the New World...from approx. 300BC to 1100 AD.Mayadigger
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New World, Maya, Lamanai, BelizeMayadigger - This is a detail seen on the previous structure. What you're looking at is known to Meso-American archaeologists as a "Pre-Classic Mask" and are only found on Maya structures from the Pre-Classic time, i.e. 200-400 A.D. This fellow is a "Kinich Ahau" or a "Shining-faced" Lord. Kinich Ahau was the Maya Sun God, but this was also the title of the Maya rulers. As all Maya structures were built onion-style, that is, one layer atop another, it is easy for us to date them when we come across masks such as seen here.Mayadigger
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Greece, Kos, Gymnasium of Kos, archaeologic site in Kos city, Kos island Gymnasium of Kos, archaeologic site in Kos city, Kos island.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.King Sulumeli offering a libation to a god. Basalt, 10th - 9th cent. BC.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Israel, Jerusalem - Kidron Valley (1)This curious structure is known in Arabic as Tantour Faroun (‘Pharaoh’s Hat’). In fact it’s a funerary monument (nefesh) marking the entrance to a substantial catacomb with eight burial chambers cut into the cliff behind. It probably dates from the reign of Herod the Great. In guidebooks it’s sometimes marked as the ‘Tomb of Absalom’, but the legend that this is the tomb of David’s rebellious son is a medieval fantasy. Abu Galyon
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Israel, Jerusalem - Kidron Valley (2)Another Kidron valley tomb complex (about 60m south of Tantour Faroun). Jewish pilgrims called this the ‘Tomb of Zechariah’, while the Christian pious associated it with their own early martyrs, notably St. James. In fact, an inscription shows that this was the burial place of the priestly Bene Hezir family, who get a passing mention in the Bible (1 Chronicles 24:15). The nefesh with a pyramidal top marks the entrance to a passage ascending into the cliff on the left. The actual burial chambers (four of them) lie in the area behind the Doric-columned façade. The complex dates from the later second-century BC. Abu Galyon
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Turkey, Kaunos - the TheatreA nicely proportioned theatre of the Greek type, with 34 rows of seats (18 below the diazoma and 16 above). The two arched entrances are original. Abu Galyon
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