Featured Image Credit: Artokoloro / Alamy
Topics: Social Media, World News, Twitter, Art, Conspiracy Theories
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Social Media, World News, Twitter, Art, Conspiracy Theories
People have flocked to social media to debate whether an ancient Greek relief sculpture proves time travel exists - although there is a more plausible explanation.
If I had to have one superpower, I'm not sure it would be time travel. I'd probably prefer the ability to turn invisible and jump on flights for free so I can go on holiday more or sneak into the cinema for on the house screenings.
However, as a die-hard Doctor Who fan I can still appreciate the concept of time travel is pretty cool.
Indeed, others think so too, but have even go so far to suggest it's already been done - arguing a 100 BC Greek sculpture is based off a woman 'with a laptop' which features 'USB ports'.
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The sculpture is titled 'Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned Woman with an Attendant'.
The relief carving shows a woman seated on a throne-like chair, her hand extended out to open up an object which comprises of two surfaces, one lifted up at a 90 degree angle to the other.
The lower surface also appears to have two holes in it.
Conspiracy theorists have since flooded to Twitter to suggest what the item could possibly be.
One user questioned: "Is this ancient Greek statue showing a laptop, proof of time travel?"
Another commented: "Earphone socket, but no USB jack? Must be from BCE stock."
"Not a laptop - it's a tablet with keyboard attached for ease of typing," another theorised.
However, others weren't as convinced and suggested it could be a 'mirror' or 'jewellery box'.
Alas, while mysterious things have been known to occur in the world, some peoples' excitement over the sculpture supposedly proving time travel occurred in about 100 BC has been quickly dismissed.
While admitting the 'shallow box' in the statue 'raises several questions,' Getty Collection explains: "The two holes apparent on its base are evidence of an ancient repair, perhaps in the form of two metal pins intended to hold a now lost marble component in place.
"The thinness of the box indicates that, like many works of ancient art, this relief was not intended as a photographic depiction of reality, but to convey the wealth and status of the deceased.
"Although the box appears too shallow to hold anything substantial, we can identify it as a jewellery box by comparison with other funerary reliefs that depict women pulling ribbons or jewellery out of larger, more naturalistic boxes."