Crowning the island of Aegina, the summit of Mount Ellanio has yielded remarkable archaeological finds: the remnants of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to the king of the Olympian gods, Zeus, according to a team of Greek and Swiss archeologists.
The discovery, they say, sheds light on the religious practices and architectural styles of the Mycenaean civilization, known for its influence on Greek culture and mythology.
The site, which now houses the Chapel of the Ascension, was once a place of worship and refuge according to defensive structures and residential remains uncovered by the team. The artifacts and structures unearthed span a period of nearly four thousand years, offering a rare glimpse into the continuity and changes in religious practices over millennia.
Among the most striking finds is a Mycenaean terracotta wheeled idol, suggesting that the mountaintop was a place of worship dating back to the Bronze Age. The 2023 excavation of a Mycenaean building, with its preserved vessels, provides concrete evidence of the site’s significance during a tumultuous period marked by the fall of the Mycenaean palaces.
The discovery not only enriches the understanding of ancient Greek history but also underscores the importance of Mount Ellanio as a historical and cultural landmark, reflecting an enduring human connection to its magical landscape, experts said.
