Officials said Tuesday that archaeologists in southern Italy uncovered ancient warrior helmets and the ruins of a painted brick wall at a site that could have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

Massimo Osanna, the director of the State Museums, who previously took over excavations at Pompeii, Italy’s most famous excavated site, said the area explored at Velia most likely contained relics of offerings made to Athena, the mythological Greek goddess of war and wisdom, after an important naval battle in the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea.

Velia, a part of Magna Graecia, is known for being the birthplace of Parmenides and Zeno, as well as an ancient Greek school of philosophy.
Velia’s settlement was enclosed by a wall and occupied the area’s highest part, or acropolis, as well as slopes. Elea was the ancient name for the city.
Velia was founded by colonists from Asia Minor around 540 B.C. The discoveries during the Velia excavation, according to Franceschini, emphasized the importance in investing in archaeological research in order to uncover “vital aspects of Mediterranean history.”





















