Ancient Roman altar found at bottom of well in Spain honors unexpected deity. See it
Digging through the medieval ruins of a monastery in northern Spain, archaeologists hoped to find some interesting artifacts. But what surfaced was much older — and much more unique — than they expected.
Archaeologists were excavating the ruins of an 11th century monastery in Larunbe when they found a surprise, Aranzadi Science Society said in a June 15 news release.
At the bottom of a medieval well, the team unearthed a rectangular stone with writing on it.
Archaeologists identified the stone as a 1,900-year-old Roman altar honoring an unexpected deity, the society said. A photo shows the worn gray artifact.
Based on its Latin inscription, archaeologists said the altar was dedicated by a woman named Valeria Vitella to an indigenous Basque deity known as Larrahe as part of the fulfillment of a vow.
The Basques are a people group in northern Spain and nearby areas of France with a distinct cultural and linguistic history, according to Britannica. Their early history is “a subject for speculation” but traces to pre-Roman times.
Larrahe is a poorly known ancient god or goddess whose name has been found on three other altars in Basque regions, the society said. Based on a rough translation of the deity’s name, archaeologists suspect Larrahe was linked to agriculture or fieldwork.
The recently found altar dates to the first century and represents a unique blend of Basque and Roman belief systems, archaeologists said.
These types of ancient Roman altars, sometimes referred to as votive altars, were intended to stand upright and serve as an offering site, the society said. Worshippers would pour wine or burn incense on the stone.
A photo shows the altar’s unique inscription. The right-hand edge of text appears partially damaged.
Archaeologists don’t know if the altar was thrown down the well or placed during its construction.
The ancient Roman altar was found in August 2022, the society said. Excavations at the monastery in Larunbe are ongoing.
Larunbe is a roughly 260-mile drive northeast of Madrid and near the border with France.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Aranzadi Science Society.
This story was originally published June 17, 2024 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Ancient Roman altar found at bottom of well in Spain honors unexpected deity. See it."
