The altar to Sol was pierced from behind so that light could shine through. (Image credit: © National Museums Scotland) QUICK FACTS Name: Altar to Sol What it is: A carved sandstone altar Where it is from: Inveresk, Scotland When it was made: Second century Based on the inscription, the altar appears to have been dedicated by a soldier named Gaius Cassius Flavianus, who may have been in command of the Roman military base in Inveresk, Scotland. In A.D. 142, the fort at Inveresk was established along the Antonine Wall , where Roman soldiers were sent to protect the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire . According to National Museums Scotland , which recently acquired the Altar to Sol along with a second altar that honors the god Mithras , these monuments would have been focal points for worshippers participating in secret religious ceremonies. The mythical Mithras was born from a rock and was often depicted slaying a bull.…