Clay plaque found at Olympia among 'Top 10 Discoveries of 2018'

An engraved clay plaque found in Ancient Olympia, believed to be the oldest known extract of Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey," has made the list of the "Top 10 Discoveries of 2018" of the current issue of Archaeology, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America.

According to preliminary assessments, the plaque dates back to the Roman era, possibly earlier than the 3rd century AD, and was found with other Roman-era remains near the Sanctuary of Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games in the Peloponnese peninsula, during a surface survey.

The clay piece appears to be the oldest surviving excerpt of Book 14 of the Odyssey, verses 1-8 and 9-13, according to an announcement after its discovery in July 2018. The excavating team said at the time that "as far as we know, it is the first example of a clay plaque containing an excerpt of the Odyssey...