Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Ancient Evidence Points to A Real Jason and the Argonauts

I saw an interesting program Sunday night on the Discovery Channel about the real Jason and the Argonauts. Apparently, Greek archaeologists have excavated what they think is the site of Jason’s city. Although ancient Colchis is believed to have had timber forts that have not survived to the present day, archaeologists excavating an early Greek colony dated to several centuries after the mythical journey in Georgia (ancient Colchis), speculate that it must have been preceeded by a much earlier interaction between the cultures that would coincide with the period that Jason’s quest supposedly took place.

The program also talked about the legend’s reference to the women of Limnos being shunned by their men as perhaps a storyteller’s embellishment of a description of the industry of the island. Women there rendered purple dye from Murex snails. The smell of the process resembles rotten garlic and probably would have permeated the people’s clothes that were employed in its production. Of course they also mentioned the ancient practice of using sheepskins in the gold mining process in Georgia as well. So the Golden Fleece itself was probably a historical reality as well.

See also: http://www.theoi.com/Tartaros/Kholkian.html
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