GELA, SICILY—La Brújula Verde reports that a bone stylus dated to the fifth century B.C. was unearthed in southern Sicily during an archaeological investigation conducted in advance of a construction project. The five-inch stylus was recovered from an area with a paved surface and collapsed structures that are thought to have been used as workshops in the Greek colony. The top of the stylus is carved with a man’s head, perhaps representing Dionysus as a herm or a bust in a squared stone pillar. The central part of the pillar features a carving of a phallus. Archaeologist Gianluca Calà, excavation director for the Municipality of Gela, said that the fragility of the item, and the delicacy of the carvings, suggests that the stylus may have served a symbolic purpose. To read about a first-century A.D. iron stylus excavated along London's River Thames, go to "Provincial Pen Pal."
