Archaeological excavations at the ancient settlement of Anavlochos, on a mountainside on the island of Crete, uncovered hundreds of figurines and votive clay plaques hidden among the cracks in the rocks. All of them are female, which is why researchers have nicknamed them the Ladies of Anavlochos. These are terracotta offerings that were deposited at the site between 900 and 350 BCE, and all of them are broken.

Archaeologist Florence Gaignerot-Driessen, assistant professor of Classics at the University of Cincinnati and leader of an international team of researchers, is using modern technology to try to find out how they were made and why they ended up at the top of the mountain—a difficult-to-reach location but one with stunning views over the Cretan countryside and the Mediterranean Sea. The landscape is simply incredible, says the archaeologist, who, despite the arduous climb, insists that the effort is worth it.

They were simple offerings. You didn’t have to be rich or important to acquire one and leave it, explains Gaignerot-Driessen. In fact, they are not valuable for the materials they’re made of, but for the information they can provide about the craftsmanship and beliefs of the time.

Ladies of Anavlochos Crete
Florence Gaignerot-Driessen leads excavations at Anavlochos in 2018 with her team of students and international research partners. Credit: Florence Gaignerot-Driessen

Researchers still don’t know whether the pieces were deliberately broken as part of a ritual or if they cracked over time due to natural elements. To answer this question, they have turned to innovative methods such as 3D scanning and printing, along with manual reconstructions in clay. In collaboration with Sabine Sorin of the French National Center for Scientific Research, they have created three-dimensional digital models and exact replicas of the figurines using advanced resins.

The next step is to compare the broken replicas with the originals to determine whether ancient artisans used molds or shaped each piece by hand. If they used molds, production would have been much faster and more efficient, notes Gaignerot-Driessen.

Hidden Rituals and Symbolism

The Anavlochos site was inhabited between 1200 and 650 BCE, but many of the offerings were deposited centuries later, when the place had already been abandoned. Among the findings are plaques with sphinxes—mythological creatures with the head of a woman and the body of a winged lion—and female figures dressed in long garments, including one wearing a polos (decorative hat) and another a cloak called an epiblema.

Ladies of Anavlochos Crete
One of the votive plaques found at Anavlochos. Credit: Florence Gaignerot-Driessen / Anavlochos Project

Overall, the style reflects Near Eastern influences on Greek culture. We know that in the 7th century BCE, imported objects from the Near East arrived in Crete. And immigrant artisans also came from the Near East, explains Gaignerot-Driessen.

Although there are no written records explaining the rituals carried out at Anavlochos, Gaignerot-Driessen suggests they may be linked to initiation or transition ceremonies for young women. Perhaps they offered these figurines to a deity for protection at key moments in their lives, such as motherhood or puberty, she speculates.

In the coming months, Gaignerot-Driessen will return to Crete with five students to continue excavations and experiment with local clays, attempting to replicate and break new figurines. This is experimental archaeology, she says. We don’t just study the past—we bring it back to life to understand it better.

SOURCES

University of Cincinnati

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