Ancient Athenians used a “magic pot” with leftover chicken to curse their enemies

A ceramic pot of 2,300 years filled with the bones of a dismembered chicken was probably part of a ancient curse to cripple and kill 55 people in ancient Athens, archaeologists say. The discovery reveals new evidence of how people tried to use “magic” in the city.

The jar was discovered with a coin under the floor of the Agora Classic commercial building, which was used by ancient craftsmen. “The pot contained the dismembered head and lower limbs of a young chicken”, Jessica Lamont, professor of classics at Yale University, wrote in an article published in Hesperia magazine.

At this time, around the year 300 a. vs., the people who cast the curse also drilled a large iron nail through the container.

“All exterior surfaces of the jug were originally covered with text; there were once more than 55 names registered, of which dozens only survive as scattered floating letters or light pencil lines “Lamont wrote, noting that the Greek script contains words which can mean “We unite”.

The nail and chicken pieces probably played a part in the curse. Nails were commonly used in ancient curses and “They had an inhibitory force and symbolically immobilized or restricted the faculties of the victims (of the curse)”explains the archaeologist.

The chicken was no more than 7 months old when it was slaughtered and the people who created the curse may have wanted to transfer The chick’s “helplessness and inability to protect itself” to the people whose names are written on the bottle. The presence of the head and lower legs of the chicken in the jar suggests that By twisting and piercing the chicken’s head and lower legs, the curse composers attempted to disable the use of these same body parts on their victims.

According to the archaeologist, the ritual assembly found belongs to the “kingdom of Athenian curses” and its purpose was “Unite or inhibit the physical and cognitive faculties of the named individuals.” He further noted that the jar was placed near several burnt pyres which contained animal remains, something that may have increased the power of the curse.

According to the researchers, the writing style found on the bottle indicates that at least two people were those who wrote about the artifact, both of whom had “a good knowledge of how to cast a mighty curse.” It’s unclear why they bothered to create such an elaborate curse, but it may have been linked to a court case.

“The large number of names makes an impending trial the most likely scenario”, Lamont noted, adding that “curse composers could name every opponent imaginable in their curse, including witnesses, families and opposition supporters. ” Trials were common at the time in Athens and attracted large crowds.

The location of the jar suggests that the lawsuit may have involved a labor dispute. “The curse could have been created by craftsmen working on the industrial building itself, possibly in the run-up to a lawsuit related to a conflict between workplaces. “said the archaeologist.

Another possibility is that the curse is linked to the war in Athens around 2,300 years ago. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. C., his empire collapsed and his generals and officials fought for power. Historical documents show that various factions fought for control of Athens during this time. He was “A period marked by wars, sieges and changing political alliances”, Lamont explained.

The Flask of Curses was excavated in 2006 and was recently analyzed and deciphered by Lamont. The excavation of the pot was supervised by Marcie Handler, who at the time was a doctoral student in Classics at the University of Cincinnati.

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