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Archaeologists Think a 2,400-Year-Old Grave Belongs to an Ancient Greek Wrestler
['Gayoung Lee', 'Matthew Wille', 'Margherita Bassi']
Gizmodo
The ancient Greek city of Aspendos, located in modern-day Turkey, is perhaps most famous for its grand amphitheater and intricate aqueducts.
Recently, authorities affiliated with Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism found a previously unknown necropolis, or an ancient cemetery, in the eastern part of Aspendos.
But to archaeologists and history nerds, Aspendos is also famous for its intricate silver coins, and the city was wealthy enough to mint its own coins.
What’s more, previous research, such as a 2000 study, has suggested that the prominence of wrestlers on Aspendian coins points to a reverence for the sport in the ancient city.
To Live Science, Sarah E. Bond, a historian at the University of Iowa uninvolved in the discovery, commented that “coins alone cannot indicate that this was a Classical-era Greek wrestler.”