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New evidence from the excavation of the sanctuary of the Egyptian gods at Marathon

Αρχαιολογικά χρονικά

• Δεκουλάκου, Ιφιγένεια

A sanctuary of the Egyptian gods was discovered by chance in 1968 at the southern edge of the Marathon plain, in the area of the Little Marsh of Brexisa. Excavation of it began in 2001 and is still in progress. The excavation has uncovered a quadrilateral enclosure with four propyla, one on each side, facing the points of the compass. Paved walkways lead from the propyla to a rectangular stepped structure of poros blocks at the centre of the enclosure, around which the rooms of the temple are laid out. The propyla imitate the shapes of Egyptian gate- towers and consist of two rectangular towers with the entranceway formed between them. Four marble statue bases were placed on either side of each entrance, two on the inside and two on the outside of the propylon. Larger than life size marble statues were22 Beschi, ό.π. (υποσημ. 5), σ. 45.23 P. Graindor, Herode Atticus, Le Caire 1930, a. 187 κ.ε.24 Tobin, ό.π., σ. 259 κ.ε .found fallen next to the statue bases near the propyla. Two male Egyptian statues have been found, in the type of the statues from the villa Hadriana at Tivoli, thought to represent Antinoos as Osiris. Other male Egyptian statues were found in the 1968 excavation and in 1843, the latter now in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Four statues of Isis were also found. The goddess is depicted as Isis-Demeter, holding ears of corn in her right hand, and as Isis-Aphrodite, holding roses in both hands. The other two statues of Isis hold objects from which it is not easy to determine their types. A find of unique importance was made in one of the rooms of the sanctuary: over seventy oversized cult lamps with relief representations of Isis and Sarapis in the form of confronted busts. Theses lamps date from the 2nd c. AD.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

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