The 2,000-Year-Old Patara Snake Altar
Mustafa Koçak/Antalya Bilim UniversityThe altar was found in Patara, which was once known as the “cradle of civilizations.”
Experts were intrigued this year when a 2,000-year-old altar adorned with a decorative snake relief was found in the ancient Greek city of Patara. Though snakes are a ubiquitous symbol across ancient civilizations, this is the first archaeological discovery of its kind in Patara.
Known as the “cradle of civilizations,” the Greco-Roman city in modern-day Turkey was once a melting pot of numerous cultures. It formerly served as the capital of the Lycian League — which was an alliance of Greek city-states — before it was absorbed into the Roman Empire.
Named in honor of Greek god Apollo’s son Patarus, the city had a storied history. In 333 B.C., even Alexander the Great took hold of the town. The snake altar, however, was dated back to Roman times — and experts are confident that it was used to worship gods tied to agriculture.
The research team from Antalya Bilim University’s Department of Archaeology believes the object was used for food offerings, and was possibly also used for funerary rites — since the underground gods were believed to rule over the dead.
Mustafa Koçak/Antalya Bilim UniversityThe Greek inscriptions on the altar have yet to be publicly translated.
The altar itself was carved out of marble and was found in remarkable condition. Besides the carved serpent coiling upwards, there were also Greek inscriptions that have yet to be publicly translated. Mustafa Koçak, the vice president of the excavation team, explained that Patara was a polytheistic place — so the altar allowed for a wide range of worship.
He believes food like bread and meats were left at the shrine and “made on this altar to calm the underground gods,” as it was believed that the deities could spark environmental disasters.
“They brought liquid or food such as bread and meat and put them on the altar,” he said. “Similar altars were also found in some ancient cities in southwestern Mugla province, but we have never encountered such an example in Patara.”
Mustafa Koçak/Antalya Bilim UniversityIt’s believed that the locals made ritualistic offerings at the altar.
Most intriguing, of course, is what exactly the Greek engravings upon the altar say. As it stands, the altar has been removed and secured to prevent any damage — and it’s likely to be displayed at some point in the future.
