A 2,500 year-old water well in Athens has been discovered holding dozens of curse tablets.
The 30 small lead tablets were found engraved with ancient curses and hexes at the bottom of a 2,500 year-old well in the area of Kerameikos, in the ancient Athens main burial ground. Dr. Jutta Stroszeck, director of the Kerameikos excavation on behalf of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens said the ritual texts were an attempt to “invoke the gods of the underworld” but the person that ordered the curse is never mentioned by name, “only the recipient”.
Tokens For an After Death Venture
Previously discovered curses from tombs dating to the Classical period (480-323 BC) had been related to people that had died in an untimely manner and through what appeared to be plain old bad luck. These folks were deemed as being most suitable for carrying spells to the underworld. According to an article in Haaretz Dr. Stroszeck said there was good reason for the transition of “ill-will from graves to wells” in ancient Athens.
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