Why have these Kore and Kouros Murti Pairs been found at the bottom of the Mediterranean, buried like the Merenta Excavation Pair (images below), or preserved in the Vatican and other Catholic collections? It is because of the Iconoclastic (Sacred Image-smashing) Controversy and the near total destruction of early Christian and other sacred Art by the followers of M*hammed. The Catholic Leaders who fought against the Iconoclasts, tried to rescue the Sacred Art of their religious domain, especially the so -called ‘cult images’ of the Proto-Catholic Heliopolitan Tradition. The Great Rhodian School of Monumental Stone Murti Sculpture in-the-round was unparalled in the ancient World. Techniques from the Masters of Rhodes were transmitted to the Murti Makers of Pure Land Buddhism and Vaishnavism at centers like Gandhara and Mathura.
In these related Pure Land Buddhist and Vaishnava Traditions, to avoid desecration of a Sacred Murti of the Lord or Shakti, if there is no other way to protect Sri Murti, the Form of the Lord or Shakti must be buried or cast into a deep body of water! Where this was not accomplished, the Iconoclasts (Murti smashers) delighted in disfiguring, beheading and dismembering the so-called ‘Cult Images’ of the ancient Mediterranean Region. They also defaced and destroyed countless other works of Sacred Art. This is why the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is littered with countless ‘Cult Images’ from the tiny home-shrine type to great Temple Murtis weighing tons. Such Murtis were deposited there before or after desecration, to protect Them from further insult and injury. Burying Murtis on land was an alternative to burial at sea. Thus many more such ‘Cult Images’ will no doubt be found as research progresses in areas that were once invaded and ruled by Muslims or other Iconoclasts.
MERENTA EXCAVATION-FRASIKLEIA-KOUROS-MARKOPOULO
In each related Tradition with a Vishnu-related Supreme Father God or Adi Purusha, there are countless Nama-Rupa Name-Forms of the masculine Lord PURUSHA and His Feminine Prakriti. Thus the Greatest and Original KOUROS / Krishna was the Lover of the Original and Greatest KORE, RHODA / RADHA! The ORIGINAL FORMS OF Roman JUPITER and JUNO WERE JUVENALIS and JUVENTA…. KRISHNA-Nava-YAUVANA and RADHA-Nava-YAUVANI! Rome’s JUVENILE / YOUTHFUL JUPITER was/is Greece’s KOUROS and India’s KRISHNA-Yauvana. Rome’s Juvenile Juno was/is Greece’s KORE-RHODA and India’s RADHA-YAUVANI.
Despite being Found Together with Kouros on the right and Kore on the right as seen in the images above, today Kore and Kouros are separated on opposite sides from each other. As in the Vedic tradition the male deity is always placed upon the right with his love at his heart upon his left. Though many artifacts have indeed been discovered the context has been lost. Bhakti Ananda Goswami’s research combines the archaeological evidence with the textual and cultural evidences and is thus able to map out the actual historical and socio-religious connotations for which these artifacts were originally created. Without knowing the actual details related to these sculptures it is quite possible that these were ot mere grave markers as believed by mainstream academia. Even today in India it is common to find Murtis connected to Samadhis/Tombs for sacred people and these are often located at or very near Temples. Thus rather than being graves or Funerary statues the graves may have been intentionally place at holy sites. Thus the actual importance of the site is in its location as a Temple rather than a tomb or a grave. (Note from VB Parker)
DETAILS REGARDING THIS DISCOVERY
Kore (Phrasikleia) by Ariston of Paros and Kouros, lifesize, circa 550 B.C. Found in a pit at Merenda in Attica in 1972. The base’s front bears an inscription with the name of the deceased Phrasikleia: ΣΗΜΑ ΦΡΑΣΙΚΛΕΙΑΣ· ΚΟΡΗ ΚΕΚΛΗΣΟΜΑΙ ΑΙΕΙ ΑΝΤΙ ΓΑΜΟΥ ΠΑΡΑ ΘΕΩΝ ΤΟΥΤΟ ΛΑΧΟΥΣ’ ΟΝΟΜΑ [Grave marker of Phrasikleia. I shall ever be called maiden (kore), the gods allotting me this name in place of marriage]. The left side of the base preserves an inscription with the name of the sculptor: ΑΡΙΣΤΙΩΝ ΠΑΡΙ[ΟΣ Μ’ ΕΠ]Ο[Ε]ΣΕ (Aristion of Paros made me). Height: 1.79 m. Height including the base and the plinth: 2.115 m.
“In 1972, Greek archaeologists unearthed two nearly complete Archaic statues a foot below the modern surface of an olive grove in the countryside of Attica, outside the city of Athens. They represent a young man and a young woman of the second half of the 6th century BCE, carved in the traditional static pose of the time. They conform to the conventions of the sculptural types known to students of ancient art as the kouros (“youth”) and the kore (“maiden”), and they had been erected as grave markers in a nearby family cemetery. But then, after standing guard over the deceased for only a short period of time, they had been deliberately removed and buried.” SOURCE
“Found at Merenda (ancient Myrrhinous), Attica, in 1972. […] Funerary statue. Found in a pit inthe cemetery of Myrrhinous together with kouros [of Merenda] (inv. no. 4890). Preserved in excellent condition. The girl is depicted standing frontally. She wears a full-length, sleeved chiton girt at the waist. With her right hand she draws up the side of the chiton and in her left holds a lotus bud in front of her breast. The chiton, which was originally red, as is clear from the paint preserved in several places, was decorated with a variety of motifs, such as rosettes, swastikas and stars, and at the front has a broad band of meander pattern running from the neck to the feet and continuing on the tophem and the sleeves. The bottom hem is decorated with a zone of colored leaf ornaments. She wears a necklace, earrings and bracelets. Her hair hangs to her breast in long beaded tresses, and sits on her forehead in waves. On her head she wears a tall wreath decorated with flowers alternating with lotus buds. The base of the statue, which has been known since 1730, was built into the church of the Virgin, a short distance from where the kore was found. On its front is carved the epigram: ‘Grave marker of Phrasikleia. I shall ever be called maiden (kore), the gods allotting me this name in place of marriage.’ At the top of the left side is the name of the sculptor: ‘Aristion of Paros made me.'”;Kouros: : “Found at Merenda (ancient Myrrhinous), Attica, in 1972. […] This kouros was found together with the kore Phrasikleia (inv. no. 4889) and, like it, was a funerary statue. The feet are missing from the ankles down and the right hand from the wrist. Parts of the arms and the left wrist are restored. The left leg is advanced. The arms hang at the sides, slightly bent at the elbows, and just separated from the thighs, on which they rest with the aid of a very thin support. On his head he wears a diadem with flammiform decoration above the forehead, while the tresses of hair on the nape of the neck are tied with a thin cord and terminate in two volutes. The hair sits in shell-like curls on the forehead, is wavy on the top of the head, and hangs down the back in twenty beaded tresses. He has a flat, wide forehead and small, almond-shaped eyes, and the eyebrows are not clearly delineated. The transverse abdominal muscles are strongly modeled. Red paint is preserved on the hair, the eyebrows and the nipples. The pubic hair was also rendered by paint, as was the necklace he wore around his neck.” (Entries from Kaltsas, pp. 48-49) SOURCE
Collected Works Archive of Bhakti Ananda Goswami 