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The ancient Greek masterpiece etched on a tiny gemstone

By Katy Scott, CNN

Updated 1524 GMT (2324 HKT) January 26, 2018

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An intricate engraving on an ancient gem has been deemed one of the greatest prehistoric Greek artworks ever discovered.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
An intricate engraving on an ancient gem has been deemed one of the greatest prehistoric Greek artworks ever discovered.
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The sealstone was one of many treasures discovered in the <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/27/europe/greece-pylos-warrior-tomb/index.html" target="_blank">3,500-year-old</a> tomb of a Bronze Age warrior. Archaeologist Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati led the dig in southwest Greece in 2015.<br />
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
The sealstone was one of many treasures discovered in the 3,500-year-old tomb of a Bronze Age warrior. Archaeologist Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati led the dig in southwest Greece in 2015.
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The sealstone was covered in limestone when it was first discovered. Measuring just 1.4 inches in length, it was initially mistaken for a bead.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
The sealstone was covered in limestone when it was first discovered. Measuring just 1.4 inches in length, it was initially mistaken for a bead.
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Experts are stunned by the engraving's detailed representation of the human body and the understanding of bodily movement, says Stocker.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Experts are stunned by the engraving's detailed representation of the human body and the understanding of bodily movement, says Stocker.
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"The amount of skill that was required to execute such an intricate design on such a small surface is unbelievable," Stocker tells CNN.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
"The amount of skill that was required to execute such an intricate design on such a small surface is unbelievable," Stocker tells CNN.
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More than 40 sealstones were found in the tomb. Others had less detailed designs featuring long-horned bulls and sometimes, human bull jumpers soaring over their horns.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
More than 40 sealstones were found in the tomb. Others had less detailed designs featuring long-horned bulls and sometimes, human bull jumpers soaring over their horns.
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This 30-inch necklace, with two gold pendants decorated with ivy leaves, was found near the neck of the warrior-king's skeleton.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
This 30-inch necklace, with two gold pendants decorated with ivy leaves, was found near the neck of the warrior-king's skeleton.
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Four solid-gold rings were found in the tomb -- more than have been found at any single burial site elsewhere in Greece, according to the archaeologists. This one depicts a Cretan bull running scene.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Four solid-gold rings were found in the tomb -- more than have been found at any single burial site elsewhere in Greece, according to the archaeologists. This one depicts a Cretan bull running scene.
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Six ivory combs formed part of the treasure trove, challenging some older ideas around gender, says Stocker.
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Six ivory combs formed part of the treasure trove, challenging some older ideas around gender, says Stocker.
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Stocker deems the discovery "one of the most magnificent displays of prehistoric wealth discovered in mainland Greece in the past 65 years."
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
Stocker deems the discovery "one of the most magnificent displays of prehistoric wealth discovered in mainland Greece in the past 65 years."
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"We were not looking for tombs in the first place and finding an unlooted tomb is so extremely rare," she says. "This is truly phenomenal."
Photos: Treasure trove unearthed from tomb of Greek warrior-king
"We were not looking for tombs in the first place and finding an unlooted tomb is so extremely rare," she says. "This is truly phenomenal."
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pylos combat agatepylos sharon skulllimestone sealstonefallen warrior sealstonewarrior sealstonepylos seal stonepylos necklacepylos cretian ringpylos combpylos bronze mirrorsharon stocker greece

(CNN)A miniature gemstone discovered in a 3,500-year-old tomb is challenging our understanding of ancient Greek art. Now, nearly three years after it was originally discovered, experts are still trying to fathom how it was crafted.

The limestone-encrusted gem was one of 1,400 treasures found buried alongside a mysterious Bronze Age man -- dubbed the Griffin Warrior -- in Pylos, southwest Greece.
Husband-and-wife team Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati led the excavation near the ancient Palace of Nestor -- a site mentioned in Homer's epic poems -- in 2015.
    Sharon Stocker stands in the warrior's tomb.
    Sharon Stocker stands in the warrior's tomb.
    Today experts are still poring over the jewels, weapons and armor, searching for clues about the ancient world at the dawn of European civilization.
    One tiny object measuring just 3.6 centimeters (1.4 inches) was initially overlooked and mistaken for a bead. But, beneath the limestone was a meticulously carved gemstone, now considered one of the greatest prehistoric Greek artworks ever discovered.
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    It is so tiny that a microscope is needed to fully appreciate the mastery of the engraving, as some details are just half a millimeter (0.0197 inches) in size.
    However, no such magnifying tool is known to have existed in the ancient Greek world.
    "The amount of skill that was required to execute such an intricate design on such a small surface is unbelievable," Stocker tells CNN.
    It shows detailed understanding of the human body and movement which, until now, was thought far beyond the ability of Bronze Age artisans, she says.

    Devil in the detail

    This particular gem -- called the Pylos Combat Agate -- is one of 11,000 known sealstones from the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations (2,600 -- 1,100 B.C.).
    Sealstones could be stamped into clay or wax as a means of marking identity. Some were even attached to bands and worn as bracelets.
    "They're used to mark ownership in what is not totally a preliterate society, but not a fully literate society," Davis tells CNN.
    The Pylos Combat Agate depicts a dramatic scene of a near-naked warrior driving a sword into his opponent, while a third warrior lies on the ground.
    "We think it references some narrative that was circulating in this period," says Davis.
    "It evokes Homer to us," adds Stocker, referring to his epic works "Iliad" and "Odyssey," which scholars believe were written down in the 8th century B.C. -- hundreds of years after the sealstone was crafted.
    While it is impossible know for sure, one theory presented by scholars speculates that the warrior image stems from earlier oral versions of Homer's works, explains Davis.
    Up-close photo of the fallen warrior.
    Up-close photo of the fallen warrior.

    Reproducing a miniature masterpiece

    Goldsmith Akis Goumas is currently attempting to replicate the stone in hard wax or burnt clay to understand the movements, shape and size of the handheld tools used.
    In tracing the tool marks on the sealstone, Goumas speculates that the craftsman may have used a rotating wooden lathe with a sharp edge to engrave the stone.
    He thinks one artisan did the basic, three-dimensional engraving while another completed the secondary work.
    "It isn't one craftsman's work because we can see different qualities of dexterity in the synthesis," he told CNN over email.
    The incredibly well-preserved fossil of a 3 million-year-old extinct species of field mouse, found in Germany, which was less than 3 inches long, was found to have red pigment in its fur.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    The incredibly well-preserved fossil of a 3 million-year-old extinct species of field mouse, found in Germany, which was less than 3 inches long, was found to have red pigment in its fur.
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    A mass grave dated to 5,000 years ago in Poland contains 15 people who were all from the same extended family.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    A mass grave dated to 5,000 years ago in Poland contains 15 people who were all from the same extended family.
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    This is an artist's impression of the Ambopteryx longibrachium, one of only two dinosaurs known to have membranous wings. The dinosaur's fossilized remains were found in Liaoning, in northeast China, in 2017.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    This is an artist's impression of the Ambopteryx longibrachium, one of only two dinosaurs known to have membranous wings. The dinosaur's fossilized remains were found in Liaoning, in northeast China, in 2017.
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    Reconstruction of a small tyrannosauroid Suskityrannus hazelae from the Late Cretaceous.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Reconstruction of a small tyrannosauroid Suskityrannus hazelae from the Late Cretaceous.
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    Researchers have been studying Archaeopteryx fossils for 150 years, but new X-ray data reveal that the bird-like dinosaur may have been an "active flyer."
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Researchers have been studying Archaeopteryx fossils for 150 years, but new X-ray data reveal that the bird-like dinosaur may have been an "active flyer."
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    A 160,000-year-old Denisovan jawbone found in a cave on the Tibetan Plateau is the first evidence of the presence of this ancient human group outside the Denisova Cave in Siberia.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    A 160,000-year-old Denisovan jawbone found in a cave on the Tibetan Plateau is the first evidence of the presence of this ancient human group outside the Denisova Cave in Siberia.
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    An artist's illustration of Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, a gigantic carnivore that lived 23 million years ago. It is known from fossils of most of its jaw, portions of its skull and parts of its skeleton. It was a hyaenodont, a now-extinct group of mammalian carnivores, that was larger than a modern-day polar bear.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    An artist's illustration of Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, a gigantic carnivore that lived 23 million years ago. It is known from fossils of most of its jaw, portions of its skull and parts of its skeleton. It was a hyaenodont, a now-extinct group of mammalian carnivores, that was larger than a modern-day polar bear.
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    The right upper teeth of the newly discovered species Homo luzonensis. The teeth are smaller and more simplified than those belonging to other Homo species.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    The right upper teeth of the newly discovered species Homo luzonensis. The teeth are smaller and more simplified than those belonging to other Homo species.
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    The towering and battle-scarred "Scotty" is the world's largest Tyrannosaurus rex and the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Canada.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    The towering and battle-scarred "Scotty" is the world's largest Tyrannosaurus rex and the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Canada.
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    Researchers discovered unknown species at the Qingjiang fossil site on the bank of the Danshui River, near its junction with the Qingjiang River in Hubei Province, China.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Researchers discovered unknown species at the Qingjiang fossil site on the bank of the Danshui River, near its junction with the Qingjiang River in Hubei Province, China.
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    During a study of the ancient Iberian population, the remains of a man and woman buried together at a Spanish Bronze Age site called Castillejo de Bonete showed that the woman was a local and the man's most recent ancestors had come from central Europe.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    During a study of the ancient Iberian population, the remains of a man and woman buried together at a Spanish Bronze Age site called Castillejo de Bonete showed that the woman was a local and the man's most recent ancestors had come from central Europe.
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    Durrington Walls is a Late Neolithic henge site in Wiltshire. Pig bones recovered at the site revealed that people and livestock traveled hundreds of miles for feasting and celebration.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Durrington Walls is a Late Neolithic henge site in Wiltshire. Pig bones recovered at the site revealed that people and livestock traveled hundreds of miles for feasting and celebration.
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    An artist's impression of a Galleonosaurus dorisae herd on a riverbank in the Australian-Antarctic rift valley during the Early Cretaceous, 125 million years ago.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    An artist's impression of a Galleonosaurus dorisae herd on a riverbank in the Australian-Antarctic rift valley during the Early Cretaceous, 125 million years ago.
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    The remains of 137 children and 200 llamas were found in Peru in an area that was once part of the Chimú state culture, which was at the peak of power during the 15th century. The children and llamas might have been sacrificed due to flooding.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    The remains of 137 children and 200 llamas were found in Peru in an area that was once part of the Chimú state culture, which was at the peak of power during the 15th century. The children and llamas might have been sacrificed due to flooding.
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    The tooth of an extinct giant ground sloth that lived in Belize 27,000 years ago revealed that the area was arid, rather than the jungle that it is today.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    The tooth of an extinct giant ground sloth that lived in Belize 27,000 years ago revealed that the area was arid, rather than the jungle that it is today.
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    An artist's illustration of what the small tyrannosaur Moros intrepidus would have looked like 96 million years ago. These small predators would eventually become Tyrannosaurus rex.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    An artist's illustration of what the small tyrannosaur Moros intrepidus would have looked like 96 million years ago. These small predators would eventually become Tyrannosaurus rex.
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    Examples of tools manufactured from monkey bones and teeth recovered from the Late Pleistocene layers of Fa-Hien Lena Cave in Sri Lanka show that early humans used sophisticated techniques to hunt monkeys and squirrels.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Examples of tools manufactured from monkey bones and teeth recovered from the Late Pleistocene layers of Fa-Hien Lena Cave in Sri Lanka show that early humans used sophisticated techniques to hunt monkeys and squirrels.
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    Footprints thought to belong to Neanderthals have been found in the Catalan Bay Sand Dune.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Footprints thought to belong to Neanderthals have been found in the Catalan Bay Sand Dune.
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    Two of the fossil specimens discovered in Korea had reflective eyes, a feature still apparent under light.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Two of the fossil specimens discovered in Korea had reflective eyes, a feature still apparent under light.
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    An artist's illustration of Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia, a long-necked titanosaur from the middle Cretaceous period recently found in Tanzania. Its tail vertebra has a unique heart shape, which contributed to its name. In Swahili, the name translates to "animal of the Mtuka with a heart-shaped tail."
    Photos: Ancient finds
    An artist's illustration of Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia, a long-necked titanosaur from the middle Cretaceous period recently found in Tanzania. Its tail vertebra has a unique heart shape, which contributed to its name. In Swahili, the name translates to "animal of the Mtuka with a heart-shaped tail."
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    The oldest evidence of mobility is 2.1 billion years old and was found in Gabon. The tubes, discovered in black shale, are filled with pyrite crystals generated by the transformation of biological tissue by bacteria, found in layers of clay minerals.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    The oldest evidence of mobility is 2.1 billion years old and was found in Gabon. The tubes, discovered in black shale, are filled with pyrite crystals generated by the transformation of biological tissue by bacteria, found in layers of clay minerals.
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    Researchers recently studied climate change in Greenland as it happened during the time of the Vikings. By using lake sediment cores, they discovered it was actually warmer than previously believed. They studied at several sites, including a 21st-century reproduction of Thjodhild's church on Erik the Red's estate, known as Brattahlíð, in present day Qassiarsuk, Greenland.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Researchers recently studied climate change in Greenland as it happened during the time of the Vikings. By using lake sediment cores, they discovered it was actually warmer than previously believed. They studied at several sites, including a 21st-century reproduction of Thjodhild's church on Erik the Red's estate, known as Brattahlíð, in present day Qassiarsuk, Greenland.
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    This is an artist's illustration of Antarctica, 250 million years ago. The newly discovered fossil of a dinosaur relative, Antarctanax shackletoni, revealed that reptiles lived among the diverse wildlife in Antarctica after the mass extinction.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    This is an artist's illustration of Antarctica, 250 million years ago. The newly discovered fossil of a dinosaur relative, Antarctanax shackletoni, revealed that reptiles lived among the diverse wildlife in Antarctica after the mass extinction.
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    Bone points and pierced teeth found in Denisova Cave were dated to the early Upper Paleolithic. A new study establishes the timeline of the cave, and it sheltered the first known humans as early as 300,000 years ago.
    Photos: Ancient finds
    Bone points and pierced teeth found in Denisova Cave were dated to the early Upper Paleolithic. A new study establishes the timeline of the cave, and it sheltered the first known humans as early as 300,000 years ago.
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