Anonymous person returns three ancient coins to Paestum Archaeological Park

Three ancient bronze coins were anonymously delivered today to Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Paestum Archaeological Park. Park officials are already in the process of restoring and inventorying the objects, among which stands out what on initial analysis appears to be a 2nd-century B.C. Quadrant with a bearded head of the god Neptune on one side and the image of a dolphin on the other. Under the representation of the dolphin are the letters PAIS, an abbreviation of the Roman name Paistom/Paestum for the ancient Hellenic colony founded around 600 B.C. on the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Italy and called Poseidonia by the Greeks.

This is the latest in a series of returns by people who have decided to voluntarily hand over to the Archaeological Park materials kept in their homes to make them available to the public and the scientific community, often after many years. “We thank those who have made such a gesture,” said the director, “although we remind them that it is preferable to report any finds of an archaeological nature immediately, because only in this way can we trace the original context of the objects, which is fundamental to the knowledge and scientific framing of the materials.”

Meanwhile, stratigraphic excavations continue near the Temple of Neptune, the largest and best-preserved of Paestum ’s three temples still visible at the archaeological site. The excavation project, which is part of a larger effort to improve a seismic monitoring system on the temple, could shed light on some still unclear aspects, such as the precise chronology and cult connected to the building.

“People often ask me if there is still something to be discovered at a site like Paestum,” Zuchtriegel commented, “the truth is that there are still so many open questions even about a monument as emblematic and famous as the Temple of Neptune. Enhancement, as we understand it in Paestum and Velia, aims to bring the sites alive through sharing and opening the excavations to the public, including through the Web, under the banner of a Public Archaeology approach. Moreover, this latest project on the temple makes use of important private funding arrived through the Artbonus platform so much so that we consider it an exemplary model in creating a virtuous circuit between research, protection, enhancement and participation of citizens and local businesses.”

Anonymous person returns three ancient coins to Paestum Archaeological Park

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