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It is not clear why the statue should have been placed in a pit, as if to be hidden. The quality of the rebuilding and of the floors following the earthquake was extremely poor and all the evidence shows that such repairs as were carried out were of a makeshift character. The improvised resting-place for the statue is thus conformable to the general conditions following the earthquake. But it may be that it was decided to place the statue in a pit to safeguard it in the event of a repetition of that catastrophe.
That in its new place of safety the image of the god was still worshipped is proved by the continuation of the ritual and particularly the sacrificial offerings of ox skulls in the adjoining room XIII. Here at a level corresponding with floor I in the sanctuary (X) no less than eight skulls or horns of oxen were found together with vases (pl. XXI.4). Such sacrificial offerings were also placed in room IX where we found stags' antlers [handwritten: /] and … continues
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain