Relic of 2000-yr-old Egyptian deity found at Silchester
By ANIMonday, July 19, 2010
LONDON - The remains of an Egyptian deity have been found in an archaeological dig at abandoned Roman city in Hampshire.
The thumb-sized piece of bronze, which was discovered after almost 2,000 years hidden in the ground, has turned out to be the earliest representation of an Egyptian deity Harpocrates, the god of secrecy and silence.
It was found at Silchester, in last summer excavation, but his identity was only revealed in months of careful conservation work.
“In Egyptian mythology the figure is known as Horus, the child of Isis and Osiris,” the Guardian quoted Mike Fulford of the University of Reading as saying.
“He is often shown with his finger in his mouth, a gesture that in Egypt represented the hieroglyph for his name, but was misinterpreted by the Greeks and Romans, resulting in his adoption as the god of silence and secrecy.
“The figurine was attached to part of a charcoal-burning brazier which would have been used to provide heating and lighting. This brazier is the only one found in England so we are doubly excited,” Fulford said.
“The brazier, the sort of thing you would expect to find in Pompeii, is the first evidence of such a luxurious item from Roman Britain,” he added.
Harpocrates would be displayed on weekends at Silchester. (ANI)
