Paw prints in the dusty surface of an ancient Greek baked clay ‘Velia tile’, made at least 2,000 years ago in the seaport of Elea on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in southern Italy. Large quantities of unique bricks and tiles, many with official stamps, have been found during archaeological ‘digs’ amid the ruins of Hellenistic Elea and Roman Velia beside the resort of Marina di Ascea in Campania.
Velia, Marina di Ascea, Campania, Italy: animal paw prints left in the dusty surface of an ancient baked clay ‘Velia tile’, made at least 2,000 years ago by craftsmen in the Greek seaport of Elea on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in southern Italy. The artefact, preserved under cover in the city ruins, is among many Greek bricks and tiles unearthed by archaeological excavations at the site. The bricks were mostly used in public buildings, although many were also used to build and maintain the city walls. Some later stripped from the walls reappeared in private dwellings and they are still found during restoration and rebuilding work in surrounding villages. Unique ‘Velian bricks’, all cm ( in) thick, were made in standard square and rectangular sizes, with rectangular top indents. Most were stamped with an acronym or symbol probably denoting public ownership or use in public projects, as well as Greek lettering, perhaps representing their makers. Elea was founded around 538 to 535 BC by Ionian Greeks displaced by Persians from Phocaea in Asia Minor. It thrived thanks to its two ports, one on the sea and one on the Alento river. The city’s original name, Hyele, changed over time to Ele, Elea, and lastly to Velia. The Romans took control in 273 BC and it became a Roman municipality in 88 BC, retaining the right to mint coins. Velia declined when its ports silted up and it was bypassed by new overland trade routes. In the 9th century, most citizens left to escape malaria and pirate raids, but some stayed to live on the acropolis, which was finally abandoned in the late-1600s. The vanished ruins below the acropolis were rediscovered in 1833. More recent excavations found fortifications, a sea wall, gateways, frescoed houses and thermal baths. The city site is now an archaeological park and part of a wider UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Velia, Marina di Ascea, Campania, Italy.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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