Akrotiri Boxer Fresco

<p>The  Akrotiri Boxer Fresco, discovered in 1967, is one of the <a href="/facts/Wall_Paintings_of_Thera/SjrxSEQS">Wall Paintings of Thera</a> and a leading example of <a href="/facts/Minoan_painting/QrPj8qkJ">Minoan painting</a>, though the version usually shown (as here) includes large sections "reconstructed" by archaeologists, which can be identified by their smooth texture.  It is a <a href="/facts/Fresco/oj49kcQa">fresco</a> depicting two young boys wearing boxing gloves and belts and dates back to the <a href="/facts/Bronze_Age/c09qWcTt">Bronze Age</a>, 1700 BC. Around 1600 BC, a disastrous earthquake, followed by a volcanic eruption, covered <a href="/facts/Akrotiri_(prehistoric_city)/fk2IYE9n">Akrotiri</a>, Greece in a thick layer of pumice and ash, which resulted in the remarkable conservation of frescoes, including the Akrotiri Boxer Fresco, from multiple buildings throughout the town. This particular fresco was found in room B1 of Building Beta along with the Antelope Fresco. The boys' shaved heads and stray locks indicate their youth, while their darker skin tone indicates their gender. The boy on the right is completely nude except for a belt, whereas the boy on the left has jewellery; most likely markers of a higher status. They appear to be slightly over life-size at roughly 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m). To create such vibrant frescoes, a smooth lime plaster was applied to the walls and then painted over. It is impossible to know whether the match was a competitive one or simply a routine sport.
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Akrotiri Boxer Fresco open-in-new

Akrotiri Boxer Fresco