Greek archaeologists have discovered thousands of pottery offerings left by ancient pilgrims on the island of Kythnos, in the Cyclades.
The announcement was made by Greece’s Culture Ministry, which oversees all archaeological activity in Greece. The Ministry statement said that the find included more than 2,000 intact or nearly intact clay figurines, mostly of women and children, but also some males, and numerous animals including tortoises, lions, birds and pigs.
The offerings, an older variation of the Greek Orthodox tradition of offering a “tama” to an icon of a saint or the Virgin Mary, were associated with agriculture. The temple where the figurines were found is linked to the worship of Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone.
Uninhabited now, the island of Kythnos was continuously inhabited between the 12th century BC and the 7th century BC, when it was abandoned.
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