Asclepius Sanctuary discovery adds new details to timeline

Visitors to the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus in the eastern Peloponnese are increasingly fascinated by the treasures being unearthed in excavations of the assembly of monuments comprising the Sanctuary of Asclepius, hailed as the greatest center of healing in the ancient world. Interest has focused on the site again following the recent discovery of a structure right beside the Tholos, a circular building from 365-335 BC believed to have been the most important in the sanctuary.

The Archaic building, found at a depth of 3 meters, is important in that it provides evidence that the Tholos was the chthonic residence of Asclepius from when he first arrived in Epidaurus. This, moreover, did not happen in the mid-6th century BC as was believed until now, but after the end of the 7th. The building is also invaluable in what it tells us about the evolution of architecture and how...