In Greece, German archaeologists have discovered more than 30 lead tablets with curses engraved on them, which were located at the bottom of a 2,500-year-old well in Athens and were intended for the gods of the underworld.
Haaretz talks about the discovery. The well with curses was discovered in 2016 and has been studied by archaeologists ever since. The facility is located in the Kerameikos area, the main cemetery of ancient Athens. Small lead plaques make it unique. They are engraved with appeals to the gods of the underworld with requests to harm specific people.
Archaeologists are aware of other similar ritual artifacts. However, they were all previously found in the graves. According to researchers, the well began to be used for these purposes after the introduction in Athens of an official ban on placing curses in burials.
The tablets found are about 2,300 years old, and the well itself is much older. It is interesting that it was always in sight - excavations in Kerameikos have been going on for a century, but until recently it was not given much importance.
And in vain, since rich archaeological material was collected in the well. For example, the researchers discovered vessels for drinking and mixing wine, clay lamps, kitchen pots and wide-necked pots used to scoop water, various wooden artifacts, including a trinket box, a pottery scraper and a pulley, many bronze coins and organic remains.
However, the main find was still the ancient curses. Judging by the writings of Cicero, the law on burials, which prohibited the placing of curses in the graves, was adopted by Demetrius of Phaleron, who ruled Athens in 317-307. BC. He also introduced a new position - a caretaker appeared in the city, supervising the observance of this law.
Probably, then a new practice was born - tablets with curses were thrown into wells. The main goal was to deliver the message to the afterlife. By the way, the depth of the excavated well is ten meters. Water in the life of the ancient Greeks had a sacred meaning. So, drinking water was sacred, it was protected by nymphs.
To appease them, offerings, such as miniature vessels of incense, were thrown into the water. This proved that people have direct access to the underworld. Apparently, this belief played a role in the emergence of a new practice - the ancients sincerely believed that if you throw a curse into a well, it will come true.
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Scientists have identified four main types of Athenian curses. Such an order, for example, was made to win a lawsuit against an opponent, to resolve a business dispute in their favor and to win sports. Also, curses were sent out of love and hate.
By the way, there was even a profession. Curses were ordered by professional scribes, who were believed to have supernatural abilities and thoroughly knew all the necessary procedures and spells.
The completed curse tablet was folded and pierced with an iron nail. In the case of burials, such tablets were sometimes nailed to the wooden coffin of the deceased.
