What a team of Swedish archaeologists first believed to be a Bronze Age grave turned out to be a large penis that may have been used for sacrificial rites.
 |
| Credit: Arkeologerna SHM |
The phallic stone, measuring a stately 52 centimetres, was discovered during an archaeological excavation at Rollsbo, Kungalv, near Gothenburg in western Sweden.
«The stone was hidden under a stone packing and originally the archaeologists thought it was a Bronze Age grave,» said archaeological consultancy firm The Archaeologists in a press release.
 |
| Credit: Arkeologerna SHM |
Phallic stones are not uncommon, and were often associated with power and potency. However, it is rare to find one designed to look quite so similar to the real-life version.
«In this specific context, with a stone so clearly resembling a phallus, perhaps it was primarily a fertility cult,» mused The Archaeologists about the purpose of the sacrificial site.
 |
| Credit: Arkeologerna SHM |
The phallic stone was found erected in the centre of the monument, with patches of soot surrounding it. A hammer stone and two small burned bones were also found, probably animal bones, said The Archaeologists.
«Forthcoming archaeobotanical analyses will perhaps reveal burned cereals as a result of grain offering, perhaps together with the erection of the stone and within sacrificial fertility rituals.»
The monument is believed to be from around 1100-500 BC.
Source: The Local [September 27, 2019]
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий