Archaeologists May Have Found the Temple of Poseidon in Greece

Poseidon's long-lost temple may have been found by archaeologists in Greece.

The potential location is reportedly parallel to the writings of an ancient Greek historian thousands of years ago.

Archaeologists May Have Found the Temple of Poseidon in Greece — For Real? — TOPSHOT - The moon rises above the statue of the ancient Greek god Poseidon in Ancient Corinth near in Athens on August 11, 2022. by VALERIE GACHE/AFP via Getty Images

The Temple of Poseidon in Greece May Have Been Found by Archaeologists

According to a report by CNET, Archaeologists have found a long-lost temple dedicated to the ancient Greek god Poseidon in southern Greece, or in the region of Samikon, to be more exact.

The news outlet notes that the structure, which is believed to date back to the 5th century BCE, was discovered during excavations in the area.

On top of that, scientists in the location also discovered potential evidence of a settlement in the area. They also found structures that could likely be associated with the long-lost temple of the ancient mythological god of the sea.

ARTnews notes in its recent story that the scientists first identified the remains back in 2021. However, it was only recently that they learned that it could potentially be something more significant than initially thought. It could potentially be the temple of Poseidon.

The statue Poseidon as Werner Schmidt of the United Nations discusses artworks at The United Nations on November 3, 2021 in New York. - Chagall, Moore, Léger: in nearly eight decades, the United Nations headquarters in New York has accumulated valuable works of art, from states and individuals, making the compound another attractive tourist stop in the Big Apple. In this heart of world diplomacy, which hosts crucial crisis meetings for the world, history and geopolitics are also explored through some 400 works, offered by 150 of the 193 member countries. by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

CNET reports that the excavated location is similar to the description of the late Greek historian and geographer, Strabo.

The Austrian Archaeological Institute archeologist, Birgitta Eder, highlighted that "the location of this uncovered sacred site matches the details provided by Strabo in his writings."

Meanwhile, the Mainz University in Germany announced that researchers have "unearthed the remains of an early temple-like structure that was located within the Poseidon sanctuary site."

The University further added that it could likely be "dedicated to the deity himself."

Undergoing Research Might Takes Years

For now, the further study seeks to provide more information about the history of the site, potentially confirming if it is indeed the long-lost temple of the ancient god.

Art News reports that the researchers from the Austrian Archaeological Institute teamed up with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis, Kiel University, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz to study the remains.

And as such, it might still take some time before these experts could outright say that this is the lost temple of the Greek god.

CNET says that the investigation could take several years. After all, the structure is quite expansive, spanning around 31 feet or 9.4 meters wide.

So for now, it is too early to actually confirm if this is the long-lost temple of the ancient god. But its similarities to the description in ancient writings suggest that this could be a significant discovery.