Thousands of offerings intended for Greek goddesses discovered on the island of Kythnos

The excavation of thousands of objects took place at the archaeological site of Vryokastro, the ancient capital of Kythnos, located in the Greek archipelago of the Cyclades. Vryokastro was inhabited from the 12th century BC until the 7th AD before being abandoned due to pirate attacks. These discoveries, supervised by the University of Thessaly, led to the discovery of numerous offerings deposited by the faithful in a sanctuary located on the top of a hill, according to the AP agency.

Archaeologists have notably found more than 2000 clay figurines representing largely women and children, and, to a lesser extent, men and animals (turtles, lions, pigs and birds). Coins, pottery, fragments of ritual vessels as well as decorated lamps were also among the finds.

These objects were used for the worship of Demeter, Greek goddess of agriculture, as well as for that of her daughter Persephone, to whom this sanctuary was dedicated. It would have been used for almost a thousand years. This discovery could forge a link between the site of Vryokastro and that of Eleusis, located near Athens, where the two goddesses were venerated during secret rites according to Archeology. The research team, made up of archaeologists, conservators and architects, will work on the Vryokastro site until 2025.