Altar of Sol: a rare 1,900-year-old monument dedicated to the Roman god of light and used in secret underground rituals

Before construction crews began building a new cricket pavilion at Lewisvale Park, just east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2010, archaeologists were called in to survey the area. In a short excavation, excavators uncovered a unique Roman altar once used to worship the sun god in mystical, male-only rituals.

The altar of Sol was discovered in two parts. Constructed of tan sandstone, it was originally approximately 4 feet (1.23 meters) high. Busts of four women representing the seasons adorn the top of the monument. In the center, a face representing the sun god Sol emerges from the monument and is carved into an incised circle. The eyes and mouth of the human-like face, and the six rays of Sol’s crown, are pierced to allow the altar to be illuminated from behind. Traces of red paint were found on the front of the altar, and laurel wreaths were carved on both sides.

According to an inscription, the altar may have been dedicated by a soldier named Gaius Cassius Flavianus, who is believed to have been the commander of the Roman military base at Inveresk, Scotland. In 142 AD, the fortress of Inveresk was built along the Antoninian Walls, and Roman soldiers were sent to protect the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire.

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According to the National Museum of Scotland, which recently acquired the altar of Sol and a second altar honoring the god Mithras, these monuments would have served as centers for worshipers taking part in secret religious rituals. The mythical Mithras was born from a rock and was often depicted killing a bull. Sol played an important role in the cult of Mithras and was sometimes identified with Mithras.

The temple dedicated to Mithras, called Mithraea, was always underground, and only men were allowed to join the mystical cult, which purported to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

Fraser Hunter, Curator of Iron Age and Roman Archeology at the National Museum of Scotland, explains in the video: “In the darkness of the temple you can see the sun’s rays and the sun’s eyes staring back at you.” The altar to Sol and Mithras is unique in Scotland and demonstrates the faith of the soldiers stationed along the Antonine Wall. Mithras and Sol gave the soldiers “a sense that the world had a purpose and that there was an afterlife,” Hunter said.

The unusual carved altar will be on display at the National Museum of Scotland from November 14th.

For more amazing archaeological discoveries, check out our Astonishing Artifacts archive.