Pluto's Gate
| Πλουτωνειον (Ancient Greek) Plutonium (Latin) |
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The ruins of the Ploutonion at Hierapolis
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 Shown within Turkey
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| Location | Pamukkale, Denizli Province, Turkey |
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| Region | Phrygia |
| Coordinates | 37°55′36.48″N 29°07′36.53″E / 37.9268000°N 29.1268139°ECoordinates: 37°55′36.48″N 29°07′36.53″E / 37.9268000°N 29.1268139°E |
| Type | Sanctuary of Pluto |
| Part of | Hierapolis |
| History | |
| Material | Stone |
| Founded | 2nd century BC |
| Abandoned | 6th century AD |
| Cultures | Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | ? - March 2013 |
| Archaeologists | Francesco D'Andria |
| Condition | Ruined |
The Ploutonion at Hierapolis (Ancient Greek: Πλουτωνειον, lit "Place of Pluto"; Latin: Plutonium) or Pluto's Gate was a ploutonion (a religious site dedicated to the god Pluto) (another name for the god Hades) in the ancient city of Hierapolis near Pamukkale in modern Turkey's Denizli Province. The site was discovered in 1965 by Italian archaeologists, who published reports on their excavations throughout the decade. In 2013, it was further explored by Italian archaeologists led by Francesco D'Andria, a professor of archaeology at the University of Salento.
Though the exact age of the site is currently unknown, the nearby city of Hierapolis was founded around the year 190 BC by the King of Pergamum, Eumenes II.
The site is built on top of a cave which emits toxic gases, hence its use as a ritual passage to the underworld. Ritual animal sacrifices were common at the site. Animals would be thrown into the cave and pulled back out with ropes that had been tied to them. Archaeologists noted that the fumes emitted from the cavern still maintain their deadly properties as they recorded passing birds, attracted by the warm air, suffocated after breathing the toxic fumes.
The Ploutonion was described by several ancient writers including Strabo,Cassius Dio and Damascius. It is a small cave, just large enough for one person to enter through a fenced entrance, beyond which stairs go down, and from which emerges suffocating carbon dioxide gas caused by underground geologic activity. Behind the 3 square metres (32 sq ft) roofed chamber is a deep cleft in the rock, through which fast flowing hot water passes releasing a sharp smelling gas. Because people died in the gas, people thought that the gas was sent by Pluto, god of the underworld.
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Wikipedia