The rediscovery of Lernaean Hydra's immortal head

This paper offers a case study for the reconstruction of the historical reality lying behind myths, through the integration of history, archaeology and geology, examining in this light the fight of Heracles and the Hydra of Lerna. Such a multidisciplinary approach has recently proved to be very effective, especially in the case of myths connected to geological phenomena. The systematic correspondence between the cult site, its relative myth and the local active fault allows to backtrack the origins of some sanctuaries to natural phenomena, so that they could be defined "fault-related sanctuaries". Similarly, many important dragons of antiquity are found to be "fault-related dragons". Lerna, one of the most ancient sacred sites of Greece, and the Hydra, the she-dragon living there, also show such a geological connection. The always regenerating many heads of the Hydra have usually been interpreted as a symbol of the many water-sources feeding the large swamps near Lerna, and the struggle between Hercules and the monster therefore an image of the draining effort. It is here proposed a different interpretation. After finally chopping her main "head", said to be immortal, the hero buried it forever, putting a huge and heavy rock on it. Thanks to the multidisciplinary approach it was possible to identify this famous "head", still there after more than 4000 years.