When Karl Blegen, the excavator of Pylos, said that «study is the revenge of the gods for the joy one feels when excavating,» he could not have imagined how apt this description would be for another equally important archaeological site, the Sanctuary of the Summit at Agios Georgios on Mount Kythira.
His opinion is shared by Effie Sapouna-Sakellaraki, honorary Curator of Antiquities and widow of the late Yannis Sakellaraki, who excavated the area. On the occasion of the publication of the new book «Kythira. The Minoan Peak Sanctuary at Agios Georgios on the Mountain,‘ published by the Archaeological Society of Athens, Efi Sakellaraki shared some of her thoughts with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
«Research is generally much more difficult than excavation. Meanwhile, Zominthos was also discovered, another significant chapter in the life of Yannis Sakellaraki, and now in mine as well, as I am continuing the excavation. You know, both of us believe that when we dig something up, we should stop, publish it, and then continue. That's how the excavation in Kythira came to a halt,» she emphasizes, explaining the reasons why the excavations at the Sanctuary of Agios Georgios in Vounos, which stopped in 1994 (having begun in 1992), took almost 17 years to resume. Their successor was Emilia Banou, assistant professor at the University of the Peloponnese and Sakellaraki's collaborator in these initial excavations, who obtained the relevant permit from the Central Archaeological Council last April.
Minoan Peak Sanctuary
Not far from the archaeological site of Paleopolis in Kastri lies Mount Agios Georgios. A few years ago, in 1991 to be precise, a very important discovery was made there by Mr. Adonis Kyrou, well-known publisher of the newspaper “Estia.” On that August afternoon, Mr. Kyrou, known for his passion for archaeology, was climbing the rugged side of the mountain that dominates the beach of Avlaimonas until he came across a small dirt road. At the edge of the dirt road, he noticed something shiny. It was a small bronze statue. He looked up and saw that the area was littered with pottery shards!
He quickly realized where he was and immediately notified Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology Yannis Sakellaraki, who arrived in Kythira a few days later with his wife Efi, also an archaeologist. A brief visit to Ai-Giorgis on the mountain was enough to convince all three that they were at the Minoan sanctuary of Avlaimon. The Archaeological Service was immediately notified, and the following year a brief trial excavation was carried out. Everything indicated that the summit had never been abandoned by humans and that the sanctuary had remained untouched.
The excavation began in 1992 and ended in 1994. On the mountain of Agios Georgios, at an altitude of 355 m, the “Minoan Peak Sanctuary” was discovered. The excavation of the Minoan summit sanctuary of Kythira proved to be important even for the study of Minoan religion, as the sanctuary was fortunate and was not looted, the only one among the many, unfortunately looted, summit sanctuaries of Crete. The finds include stone cult objects (one has Linear A writing), clay figurines of animals, bronze human idols of worshippers, bronze votive offerings, jewelry, and ceramics. Most importantly, of all the Minoan bronze figurines that had been discovered so far, 170 in number, an additional 83 were found, a veritable treasure trove. During Christian times, the church of St. George was built on this ancient place of worship.
