Archaeologists have dug up the remains of two altars from a Nabatean temple, which were discovered underwater on the seabed of Pozzuoli. The temple, which is now submerged, was once the center of Puteoli – a port located in southern Italy.
The researchers claim that the remains of the underwater temple are most likely from the first half of the 1st century A.D. These altars resemble the larger, great altars found in 1965. The base of the altar is reported to have DVSARI SACRVM, or “sacred to Dusares,” inscribed on it.
This is an inscription that refers to Dushara. Dushara was the chief deity in the Nabatean Pantheon, and the only god unique to the Nabatean religion. The researchers say that the top of the altars found in the underwater temple contain votive niches, which initially held betyls, small sacred stones used as effigies of the gods.
The Nabatean pantheon was an aniconic religion, which means it didn’t include any figural representations.
Instead, the underwater temple helps showcase how the pantheon relied on standing stones and other cultic stelae to represent the worshipped gods within it. The five Nabatean altars found in the area around the sunken town bring the total to 5. There are also other remains that may be located on the seabed.
The existence of this Nabatean Temple has long been well-known. Archaeologists have yet to pinpoint the exact location of this temple. Researchers can now pinpoint the exact location of the Nabatean temple and learn more about the interaction between the Nabatean and the locals.
These kinds of discoveries can be exciting. Especially as researchers continue their search to find the road to Atlantis ,, which still exists somewhere. The underwater temple serves as a reminder that humans once roamed the ancient world.
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