Mistaken for a Former Port, Turns Out to be an Ancient Sacred Freshwater Pool Dating Back 2,500 Years

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Once Thought to be an Old Port, Turns Out to be an Ancient Holy Pond that is 2,500 Years Old.

Archaeology reveals a sacred freshwater pond that is approximately 2,500 years old on the island of San Pantaleo, western Sicily, Italy.

The archaeological research results reveal the existence of a sacred freshwater pond that is approximately 2,500 years old on the island of San Pantaleo, western Sicily, Italy.

The pond is located parallel to the constellation of stars and was first excavated in the 1920s. Its location is among the ruins of the ancient city of Motya, which was a bustling Phoenician port in the first millennium BC.

"Artificial Harbor"

Phoenicia is an ancient maritime country located in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, active between 2500 and 64 BC, primarily in what is now known as Lebanon. Although initially considered as "Kothon" or an artificial harbor, similar to the ancient military harbor near Carthage, reassessment analysis shows that this assumption is incorrect.

This research is led by Professor Lorenzo Nigro from Sapienza University of Rome, in collaboration with the Sicilian Supervisor. Professor Nigro stated that the latest interpretation indicates that "Kothon", previously considered as a harbor, is actually a sacred pool located in the middle of a very large religious complex.

Previous findings, such as the Temple of Ba'al around Kothon Motya, indicate that the structure is not a harbor as previously believed. This unexpected discovery has prompted a re-investigation of Kothon since 2010.

Mistaken for a Former Port, Turns Out to be an Ancient Sacred Freshwater Pool Dating Back 2,500 Years

The excavation findings reveal that Kothon is a sacred pool with an artificial basin that has been dried up, altering the previous interpretation that considered it as a harbor.

"This shows that the place is unlikely to function as a port, as it is not connected to the sea. Instead, its source of water comes from natural springs."
clear Professor Nigro.

Source: Arkeonews

The following is the translation of the given 'Bahasa' text to 'English' while preserving any html tags: "The archaeologists reveal that this water feature has a size larger than modern Olympic swimming pools and is one of the largest sacred pools in the ancient Mediterranean region."

Beside Kothon, the research team found additional temples that surrounded the area. Stelae, altars, votive offerings, and bases were discovered in the middle of a lake that previously housed the statue of Ba'al, the fertility god worshipped in Phoenician belief.

Source: Arkeonews

"Getting to Know Ba'al"

"Ba'al, who is considered as the god of storms and rain, plays an important role as the protector of sailors and conqueror of the seas in the beliefs of the Canaanite and Phoenician societies."

Researchers highlight that these findings are actually a sacred pool, not a port, located within the largest worship complex in the pre-Classical Mediterranean region. Site mapping also reveals that this site is aligned with the stars.

Source: Arkeonews

The translation of the given 'Bahasa' text to 'English' while preserving any HTML tags is as follows: tribe

Archaeologists Find Traces of the 'Ad People, Turns Out They Had a Magnificent City That Never Existed in Their Time

The city was discovered after excavation under 12 meters of sand.

Once Thought to be an Old Port, Turns Out to be an Ancient Holy Pond that is 2,500 Years Old.

The archaeological research results reveal the existence of a sacred freshwater pond that is approximately 2,500 years old on the island of San Pantaleo, western Sicily, Italy.

"Artificial Harbor"

"This shows that the place is unlikely to function as a port, as it is not connected to the sea. Instead, its source of water comes from natural springs."clear Professor Nigro.

Beside Kothon, the research team found additional temples that surrounded the area. Stelae, altars, votive offerings, and bases were discovered in the middle of a lake that previously housed the statue of Ba'al, the fertility god worshipped in Phoenician belief.

"Getting to Know Ba'al"

Researchers highlight that these findings are actually a sacred pool, not a port, located within the largest worship complex in the pre-Classical Mediterranean region. Site mapping also reveals that this site is aligned with the stars.

"This shows that the place is unlikely to function as a port, as it is not connected to the sea. Instead, its source of water comes from natural springs."
clear Professor Nigro.