A Witch or a Slave by sandra46
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Description
This is the body of a woman buried in the necropolis Colombare of Gazzo Veronese (a village near Verona) together with the right hind leg of a horse. The fact that she was inhumated and not cremated as it was used in this period, without grave goods, and lying with the face downward made scholars speculate about her demise. Maybe she was a slave killed during a sacrifice of the horse, since the Venetkens were known for their cult of the horse. Maybe she was a witch, placed face downward to curse her. The horse hind leg is difficult to explain in the latter case, unless we think that the Venetkens shared an Eastern European archaic belief about witches, saying that in order to become a witch one has to pass through a horse or a cow. In any case she is unique, since the body was believed important enough not to simply dump it in the garbage heap, as it happened with lesser individuals in a community, but was buried in a grave. An hypothesis is that the horse leg was part of a sacrifice,where the rest of the horse was partaken in a symposium by the living, and the leg was offered to the Other World's Gods accompanied by the woman. She died in the 6th century BC.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Comments (44)
ia-du-lin
excellent photo!
A_Sunbeam
Quite a puzzle and plenty of room for speculation!
bebert
interesting capture
Hendesse
Superb shot and informations!
danapommet
An excellent photo Sandra and as always I have learned new things from your historical narrative.
mgtcs
Awesome capture dear Sandra, Amazing capture!
sharky_
An unhappy moment I'm sure....Interesting. Aloha
KatesFriend
So much mystery. It's hard to know the truth of this. Some people who are victimized by their society - cast out t die or just murdered - are later buried properly by the more compassionate members. A family member for example Even if it has to be done secretly.
tennesseecowgirl
fascinating and it does make you wonder... nice work
joedepas
Great image, intriguing details! I'd like to spend more time on your gallery, there are a lot of interesting shots. All the best. J
AidanaWillowRaven
intriguing ...
Chipka
Stunning. How odd--and fitting--that I come across this image while also reading Michael Ondaatje's haunting novel Anil's Ghost, which I highly recommend. It's a novel that deals with archaeological forensics among other things and it's quite lyrical...a bit like this photograph, which is visually lyrical, darkly-poetic, mysterious and compelling. The speculations you offer are food for thought, as is everything you post. The writer in me is curious about her story! You present this superbly!
artistheat
Great Capture and Story
myrrhluz
Once she was a living, woman, who cried and laughed, who looked up into the sky and wondered. Now she is a collection of bones and a mystery. One minute a vibrant, breathing person, and the next, not even a memory. I wonder if her genes have passed along into the future. Very interesting image and information.