Architectural fragment

sketchfab

MM 1974:014, Fragment of Corinthian (or composite) column capital; only one volute preserved intact along with a substantial portion of an acanthus leaf; drill-holes in the leaf indicate ancient craftsmanship; a distinctive plastic profile adorns the right-hand side of this marble masterpiece; crafted from large-crystalline white marble with a subtle yellow hue. Bequested to the museum by H.M. King Gustaf VI Adolf in 1974. The earliest archaeological finds within the Eleusis sanctuary area date back to the Bronze Age, roughly spanning the period between 3000 and 1200 BCE; however, these ancient structures were abandoned at the end of the Mycenaean era. Despite the unclear nature of these early remains, it is uncertain whether they represent an embryonic form of a sanctuary or merely a remnant of a bygone era. Conversely, evidence points to a well-established sanctuary from around 800 BCE until its eventual decline in the fourth century CE; Eleusis fell to the Goths during this tumultuous period and was never rebuilt, marking the gradual disappearance of these sacred mysteries into obscurity.