Tag: Statues

Chinese Legion of Guizai Stone Statues outnumbers Terracotta Army

Though not quite as pretty and detailed as the famous Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, a new discovery of statues in Guizai Mountain, Hunan, China outnumbers the Qin Emperor’s army of stone soldiers, and date back over 5,000 years -over 2,500 years earlier than Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army.

Located on what is an ancient worship site, the discovery of over 5,000 statues arespread over 15 square kilometres and the vast majority are believed to have been carved before the Qin dynasty era.

The anthropoid stone statues range from 30cm to 100cm in height, and take the form of several ranks of soldiers and military officiers, as well as civilian officials and pregnant women. Some are believed to be buried up to two metres below the ground.

Guizai Mountain, part of the Nanling Mountain range, is believed to have been chosen as an altar by a prehistoric civilisation in the region and adorned the site with sculptured stone statues for ritualistic and commemorative purposes.

Tang Zhongyong, director of the Dao County Administrative Office, described the statues to China’s People’s Daily as being “another wonder of the world”. The mountain’s name is derived from locals’ name for the statues – “Guizaizai”.

The announcement comes during the Xiang Gan Yue Gui Archaeology Summit Forum held in Yongzhou, Hunan Province and the find represents some of the oldest stone statues to have been found in China with a third of the stone sculptures dating back over 5,000 years. The remainder are believed to have been produced between 2,000 to 5,000 years ago during the Qin, Han, Wei and Jan dynastic eras.

The discovery comes just a few months after 114 Terracotta Warriors were discovered in the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang after excavations were carried out in Pit 1 (Watch the Video) in Xi’an. The latest finds in Guizai Mountain represent the latest in a series of archaeological discoveries in a country which continues to uncover it’s ancient past.

You can read more about the famous Terracotta Warriors on Heritage Key, including the Top 10 Interesting Facts and watch Ann’s pick of Terracotta Army videos from Youtube. Not enough for you?Then see the Terracotta Warriors in 3D detail in Heritage Key Virtual – register here for free!

2 ‘Fabulous’ Ancient Greek Statues Recovered in Corinth Sting Operation

Police have seized two ‘outstanding’ ancient Greek statues in the Peloponnese, shortly before they were due to be sold for 10 million (8.6m). Two men aged 42 and 48 were arrested while loading the pair of 2,500-year-old relics onto the back of a truck near the ancient city of Corinth. Police are seeking a third man they believe to be the group’s ringleader.

The pair of marble statues stand 5’8″ and 5’9″ tall, and are of the Kouros style popular during the 6th and 7th centuries BC. Experts believe both were made by the same sculptor between 550 and 520 BC, and excavated from a temple or cemetery only months ago. Culture minister Pavlos Geroulanos is relieved the statues could be saved before their imminent disappearance. “This is a very important find, of fabulous value, and (both statues) were ready to be taken out of Greece,” he tells AP.

“This is a very important find, of fabulous value.”

The statues, whose legs have been badly damaged by shoddy digging, have been whisked away to Athens’ National Archaeological Museum on temporary display. The precise spot from which they were taken is still unknown, yet some experts think it could be the lost city of Tenea, which served as a POW camp during the Trojan War. Recovering looted ancient treasures is a top priority for Greece’s police, who have to combat dozens of cases per year. “Going after antiquities thieves is our main priority,” adds Geroulanos. “Work has been done in that direction…and we are starting to see the first major results.”

The looting of antiquites is a major worldwide issue. Headline-grabbing incidents have recently hit Bulgaria, Israel and the US, and the issues facing the national museums of Iraq and Afghanistan have been a continued threat to Mesopotamian history.

Daily Flickr Finds: balavenise’s Aphrodisias

Named after the Greek goddess of love and fertility, Aphrodisias was named in 2BC century, and the Temple of Aphrodite was built in the 1st Century AD. Captured in this photograph by balavenise, we can see the beauty in the relic of it’s glowing stone against the dusk purple sky.

In Roman times, Aphrodisias flourished thanks to the benefit of investment in the area, and a town was built with the temple as a focal point. The town became famous for its marble crafting skills (partly due to the copious amounts of marble found in the area), and sculptures produced in the area were transported as far as North Africa to Rome.

The area was a Pagan stronghold as Christianity spread across the region, but eventually the town was renamed to Stavropoli – City of the Cross – and the temple was altered to become a Christian basilica. Eventually, the church was eventually destroyed, likely during raids in the late 12th Century AD by Seljuk Turks.

Today, all that remains is the double tetrapylonor (or monumental gate) which is the subject of balavenise’s stunning image. Many statues and sculptures have been found in the area, and in addition to the remains of the temple, there is a stadium and the relic of a bathhouse.An excavation in 1961 also uncovered several other finds, including a theatre, a market, houses and baths, a monumental gateway, and a Roman emperor’s sanctuary for worship.

Read more about the Temple of Aphrodite here at Heritage Key, and have a look at balavenise’s photostream on Flickr!

Daily Flickr Finds: gh0stdot’s Abu Simbel

Part of the Nubian Monuments, Abu Simbel is an ancient site home to two rock temples in the south of Egypt. A beautiful tribute build by Pharoah Ramesses II to his queen Nefertari, they had the alterior motive of commemorating the Battle of Kadesh, as well as the added bonus of intimidating the neighbours!Nothing like a massive temple or two to show the region who’s boss!

The beauty of this monumental structure is depicted perfectly in gh0stdot’s photograph. Choosing to portray the two ancient statues at an angle which captures them from below, and results in a picture including the sky, the effect is one which shows the great detail that went into these structures. The colour is very rich and glows the stone from which it is made, and the dramatic shading really punctuates this photograph to life.

Be sure to check out gh0stdot’s photostream for some truly stunning shots of ancient relics around the world.