Group of ancient Greek perfume bottles

610 - 550 BCE

spring is real

spring has happened before

spring will happen again

spring is coming

spring is on its way

it’s going to be spring soon

spring is not a myth

Archaeologists working at the Hisardere Necropolis in Iznik, Turkey, have uncovered a chamber tomb containing a fresco depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd, believed to be the only known example of this type in Anatolia.

The newly documented chamber tomb was discovered during the 2025 excavation season. The structure extends on a north-south axis, with the east, west and north walls largely intact despite serious damage to the south wall. All three preserved walls and the ceiling are covered with frescoes that include human figures, an unusual feature among painted tombs in the region.

The Good Shepherd scene appears on the north wall, behind a raised platform called a kline where the deceased were laid out on square terracotta slabs. The fresco shows Christ as a young, beardless figure in a simple tunic, carrying a large horned goat across his shoulders. Pairs of goats flank him on either side in a symmetrical arrangement.

Fragment of art depicting Saint Anne, 8th-9th century C.E., discovered in Faras, Sudan

Heron-Shaped Figure Vase (Oil Vessel),c. 580 BCE, assigned to Robertson's Group, East Greek, probably Milesian. Ceramic.