Israeli archaeologists from the University of Haifa have uncovered an enormous bronze mask of Pan (Faunus, Satyr) – the Greek/Roman god of the woods, shepherds, and fertility – at the archaeological site of Hippos-Sussita, located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

“Bronze masks of this size are extremely rare and usually do not depict Pan or any of the other Greek or Roman mythological images. Most of the known bronze masks from the Hellenistic and Roman periods are miniature,” said Dr Michael Eisenberg of the University of Haifa’s Department of Archaeology and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology.

Archaeological excavations at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Hippos-Sussita (3rd century BC – 7th century CE) are usually conducted in the summer. However, a series of intriguing structures on the ridge of the city, where the ancient road passed, led to a one-day dig in the winter of 2015.

The dig focused on a basalt structure that Dr Eisenberg and his colleagues assumed was a type of armored hangar for the city’s projectile machines. The archaeologists then decided to search the structure for coins to help them date the other finds.

“After a few minutes we pulled out a big brown lump and realized it was a mask. We cleaned it, and started to make out the details. The first hints that helped us recognize it were the small horns on top of its head, slightly hidden by a forelock,” Dr Eisenberg said.

“Horns like the ones on the mask are usually associated with Pan, the half-man half-goat god.”

A more thorough cleaning in the lab revealed strands of a goat beard, long pointed ears, and other characteristics that led the scientists to identify the mask as depicting a Pan (Faunus, Satyr).

“The first thought that crossed my mind was: ‘why here, beyond the city limits?’ After all, the mask is so heavy it could not have just rolled away. The mask was found nearby the remains of a basalt structure with thick walls and very solid masonry work, which suggested a large structure from the Roman period. A Pan altar on the main road to the city, beyond its limits, is quite likely,” Dr Eisenberg said.

“After all, Pan was worshipped not only in the city temples but also in caves and in nature.”

“The ancient city of Banyas (Paneas), north of Hippos-Sussita, had one of the most famous worshipping compounds to the god Pan inside a cave. Because they included drinking, sacrificing and ecstatic worship that sometimes included nudity and sex, rituals for rustic gods were often held outside of the city.”