The cremated remains of a young woman believed to be an Ancient Greek courtesan has been found in a tomb in Israel.
The tomb believed to date back to some time between the late 4th – early 3rd century BCE, contained human remains along with a perfectly preserved box mirror.
In the joint study carried out by Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists believe the young woman was a hetaira, who was highly educated and would often accompany one of the Hellenistic government officials on their travels.
Guy Stiebel, a member of the department of archaeology at Tel Aviv University said, that the discovery of this human remain has allowed us to bring back to life a woman who passed away 2,300 years ago.
Additionally, the highly decorated mirror which accompanied the remains could indicate a woman of high status who went against traditional roles of a female at the time.
Stiebel believes that the addition of the folding box mirror to the tomb provides excellent evidence for understanding the woman’s background and origins.
Source: CNN
