New Study Solves Mystery of the Parthenon’s Ancient Lighting System

New Study Solves Mystery of the Parthenon’s Ancient Lighting System

The mystery of the Parthenon’s lighting system, and how ancient Greeks illuminated the statue of Athena, is finally solved in a new study. Credit: Paolina 27 /Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 The way the interior of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens was lit has intrigued historians and archaeologists for years, especially how the ancient Greeks illuminated the grand statue of the goddess Athena Parthenos. Now, Archaeologist Juan De Lara of …

Hidden optical secrets of the Parthenon revealed by Oxford archaeologist

In a remarkable breakthrough blending archaeology and advanced 3D technology, Oxford University archaeologist Professor Juan de Lara has shown how the ancient Greeks used advanced lighting techniques to transform the inside of the Parthenon into a stage of divine spectacle. De Lara’s four-year study, published in The Annual of the British School at Athens, finally answers an ancient mystery about how light was used in the world-famous temple ded…

The Parthenon temple in the Acropolis of Athens housed within it a colossal statue made of gold and ivory, carved by the famous sculptor Fidias in the year 438 BC. His vision from the entrance of the temple was to be impressive, but to this also contributed a careful system of illumination and effects that [...]