Snakes are one of the most popular and feared symbols of ancient civilizations. Recently, a mysterious Greek snake altar has been discovered in Turkey, and it has caused considerable excitement in the archaeological community. The altar dates back over 2000 years and was found in the long-abandoned city of Patara. The Greek snake altar find is probably connected with the worship of underground gods and is providing new insights into the religion and rituals of the Graeco-Roman world (332 BC -395 AD).
The Greek snake altar was found during an excavation of the city of Patara, in Antalya Province, by a team of Turkish archaeologists. This was the main port and commercial center of the historical region of Lycia, which was inhabited by Luwian-speaking peoples in the Bronze Age . As a Hellenistic city it was the capital of the Lycian League, an alliance of Greek city-states. Patara became part of the Roman Empire and remained an important city until the 13 th century AD. AA News reports that it is “considered the cradle of civilizations” because it was home to so many diverse cultures. What’s more, Patara has a well-known link to the origins of Christmas !
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