What did the archaeologists find?
Among the most impressive sculptures were some fine marble sculptures.
Some were carved from Carrara marble and probably made in Italy, others
were made on stone from Proconnesus, Turkey. The type of Mithraism followed
in Britain probably came from Rome. The sculptures' quality suggests that
the cult's followers had access to wealth.
The sculptures had been deliberately buried in the temple floor. Mithras's
followers may have done this to protect them, or because another cult began
to use the temple.
What do the sculptures represent?
One shows Mithras killing a bull. Mithras's followers believed that the
bull's flowing blood created everlasting life. Another shows Serapis, lord
of the dead, and a third is of Mercury who guided spirits on their last
journey. These suggest that Mithras's followers believed in the afterlife.
|
