High in the hills of Lasithi, Crete, archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable and puzzling collection: hundreds of terracotta figurines and votive plaques, all representing female figures, tucked away in crevices along the rugged slopes of ancient Anavlochos.
Dubbed “The Ladies of Anavlochos” by researchers, these artifacts date from 900 to 350 BCE and are believed to have been ritual offerings. Curiously, all of them are broken.
Why were they destroyed? Was it part of a ritual, or simply the result of time and exposure to the elements?
A Mountain Shrine with a View
The figurines were found in a remote, hard-to-reach area, but one that offers sweeping views of the Cretan countryside and the Mediterranean Sea. Leading the excavation is Florence Gaignerot-Driessen, associate professor of Classics at the University of Cincinnati and head of an international research team.
“The landscape is breathtaking,” Gaignerot-Driessen notes. Despite the strenuous climb required to reach the site, she insists, “It’s worth every step.”
The figurines themselves were simple votive offerings—not made of precious materials, but meaningful nonetheless.
“You didn’t have to be wealthy or important to dedicate one,” she explains. “Their value lies not in the materials, but in what they reveal about ancient craftsmanship and belief systems.”
Broken on Purpose?
In 2018, Florence Gaignerot-Driessen led the excavations at Anavlochos, along with her team of students and international researchers.
Photo: Florence Gaignerot-Driessen
The team has yet to determine whether the figurines were deliberately broken as part of a ritual or whether they were simply damaged over time.
To find out, the researchers turned to cutting-edge technology: 3D scanning, printing, and manual clay reconstruction.
Working with Sabine Sorin of France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), they created digital models and resin replicas of the figurines to analyze their shapes, break patterns, and manufacturing techniques.
The next step is to compare the fragments and replicas to determine whether the originals were mold-made or sculpted by hand.
“If molds were used,” says Gaignerot-Driessen, “production would have been faster and more consistent.”
Symbols, Sphinxes, and Rituals
Anavlochos was inhabited between 1200 and 650 BCE, but many of the offerings were deposited centuries after the site was abandoned, suggesting that its religious significance endured.
Among the finds are terracotta plaques featuring the Sphinx—a mythical creature with the head and torso of a woman and the body of a winged lion—as well as other female figures in long robes, some wearing a pólos (a decorative headdress), and others draped in a cloak known as an epiblema.
One of the votive plaques discovered at Anavlochos.
Photo: Florence Gaignerot-Driessen / Anavlochos Project
These artistic styles reflect Near Eastern influences on early Greek culture.
“We know that by the 7th century BCE, imported goods and migrant craftsmen from the Near East had reached Crete,” explains Gaignerot-Driessen.
Though no written records have survived to describe the rituals at Anavlochos, Gaignerot-Driessen speculates they may have involved rites of passage or initiation ceremonies for young women.
“These figurines may have been offerings to a deity for protection during key life transitions—like adolescence or motherhood,” she suggests.
What's Next?
In the coming months, Gaignerot-Driessen will return to Crete with five students to continue excavations and conduct experimental archaeology—reproducing and breaking newly made clay figurines using local Cretan clay, to test ancient methods and ritual theories.
As the mystery of the Ladies of Anavlochos unfolds, their broken forms may yet tell a deeper story of spiritual devotion, transformation, and memory in ancient Crete.
