Archaeologists Identify Greek Curse Tablet at Roman Settlement in Netherlands

Archaeologists have identified a lead curse tablet at the site of the former Roman military settlement of Coriovallum in the Netherlands. The tablet was recovered from a pit beneath the town hall square in the modern town of Heerlen. It bears an ancient Greek invocation of deities and demons written in the Egyptian style.

The tablet was found during excavation work conducted by a team of Dutch archaeologists. The object is made of lead and was intended to "bind" enemies through its inscribed spell. Photographs released with the announcement show the tablet's surface and the Greek text it carries. The settlement of Coriovallum was a Roman military outpost whose remains lie beneath the present-day town.