New
discoveries at the Ash Altar of Zeus -- Mount Lykaion
In the ancient Greek region of Arcadia in the southern Peloponnesos, the
sanctuary of Zeus on Mt. Lykaion stands out for its great fame, mysterious
rituals and wide-ranging significance. This site, located to the west of
Megalopolis in southwestern Arcadia on the modern-day mountain of Agios Elias,
held fascination for the ancient Greeks and has continued to be important for
modern-day scholars of archaeology, classics, and Greek religion. Pausanias
described the sanctuary of Zeus in great detail in his Guide to Greece
(8.38.2-8.38.10) and indicated that the whole mountain was considered a sacred
place by ancient Greeks. It was identified in Greek mythology as the birthplace
of Zeus (at Cretea) and, according to Pausanias, on Mt. Lykaion there was a
stadium and hippodrome in which athletic games for the Lykaion festival were
held, a sanctuary of Pan, and, at the summit, a formidable temenos and altar of
Lykaion Zeus. In front of the altar, Pausanias says, there were two columns
crowned by gilded eagles...
More with details from the excavation and great photos at : http://lykaionexcavation.org/