1800-year-old Ancient military medal of Medusa discovered in ancient Greek city of Perre

Archeologists have unearthed a 1,800-year-old military medal in the ancient Greek city of Perre (Πέρρη) in southeastern Turkey, reports Anadolu News Agency.

According to the news report, during periodic excavations which began in 2001 in the ancient city of Perre in the Adiyaman province, archaeologists found the bronze military medal bearing the head of Medusa, also called Gorgo, one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone.

Mehmet Alkan, director of the Adiyaman Museum, told reporters that excavations continue in the area with mosaics and in the section called the “infinity ladder.”

"The medal with a Medusa head appears as an award given to a soldier for his success,” he explained.

“It is a medal a soldier wears on or off his shield during a military ceremony. We found a 1,800-year-old military diploma here during the excavations last year, and we also associate the medal with military service.”

Commagene (Greek: Κομμαγηνή) was an ancient Greco-Iranian kingdom ruled by a Hellenised branch of the Iranian Orontid dynasty that had ruled over Armenia. The kingdom was located in and around the ancient city of Samosata, which served as its capital. The Iron Age name of Samosata, Kummuh, probably gives its name to Commagene.