Sacred caves
Encyclopedia
Sacred caves and peak sanctuaries
are characteristic holy places of ancient Minoan
Crete. Most scholars agree that sacred caves were used by the Minoans for religious rites. While all peak sanctuaries have clay human figurines, only Idaeon and Psychro have them among the sacred caves. Clay body parts, also called votive body parts, common among peak sanctuaries
, appear in no caves with the exception of a bronze leg in Psychro.
Peak sanctuaries
Minoan Peak sanctuaries are widespread throughout the island of Crete . Most scholars agree that peak sanctuaries were used for religious rites. In all peak sanctuaries, human and animal clay figurines have been found. Clay body parts, also called votive body parts, are also found in most peak...
are characteristic holy places of ancient Minoan
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
Crete. Most scholars agree that sacred caves were used by the Minoans for religious rites. While all peak sanctuaries have clay human figurines, only Idaeon and Psychro have them among the sacred caves. Clay body parts, also called votive body parts, common among peak sanctuaries
Peak sanctuaries
Minoan Peak sanctuaries are widespread throughout the island of Crete . Most scholars agree that peak sanctuaries were used for religious rites. In all peak sanctuaries, human and animal clay figurines have been found. Clay body parts, also called votive body parts, are also found in most peak...
, appear in no caves with the exception of a bronze leg in Psychro.
Eastern and East-Central Sacred Caves
- PsychroPsychroPsychro Cave is an ancient Minoan sacred cave in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete. Psychro is associated with the Diktaean Cave, the putative site of Zeus' birth...
(also called the Diktaean Cave) - Phaneromeni
- Skotino
- Liliano (this cave has never been found by archaeologists)
- ArkalochoriArkalochoriArkalochori is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Minoa Pediada, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies on the western edge of the Minoa Pediada plain, west of the Lasithi plateau, in...