A team of archaeologists in Greece found a bronze bull figurine believed to have been a sacrificial offering to the god Zeus in Ancient Olympia as early as 3,000 years ago, according to an announcement last Friday from the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The ministry said that the small intact figurine was found at the ancient site of the Olympic Games after an archaeologist spotted one horn poking out of the ground, following recent rainfall.
Archaeologists transported the mostly intact figurine to a lab where initial examinations dated it to between 1050 BC and 700 BC.
Researchers concluded that the object was likely a votive offering to Zeus based on the distinct burn marks spotted after cleaning sediment from it.
Thousands of such offerings are believed to have been made at the altar of Zeus. Many have been found in a thick layer of ash and remain on display at the Archaelogical Museum of Olympia.
The full statement (in Greek) regarding the discovery from the Greek Culture of Ministry is available here.
A video posted on YouTube by the Ilia Ephorate of Antiquities shows various images and video clips of researchers cleaning and examining the bronze figurine.
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