The Kyniskos's votive bronze axe-head (VI century B.C.) was found in the territory of San Sosti - Calabria - Italy in the 1846.
The importance of  this archaeological find it's the insctiption, it translates: "I'm the sacred property of Hera - in - the - plain".
 

In the inscription, the object assert  that  it  was sacred to Hera and that it was offered by Kyniskos. Kyniskos was  boy-boxer, originary of Mantinea (a Greek city), winner of the olympic games in the middle of the VI century B.C. In the 1857 the axe-head was moved to the "National Museum of Napoli" for study the inscription.

Probably with the French invasion of the Reign of Napoli the axe-head was steal and it appear (in 1884) in Paris, in the "Alessandro Castellani Collection". In 1886 it was purchased by the Royal-House of England and today is exposed in the "British Museum" in London.

The Kyniskos's bronze axe-head is one of the archaeological find officially claimed by the Italian Estate.

Text: Pierino Calonico - Francesco Artuso  

English translation: Francesco Artuso

Photo and graphics: Giuseppe D'Addino