Archaeologists studying an ancient Greek sanctuary in Crimea have uncovered ritual pits, altars, and signs of severe earthquake damage at the settlement of Artezian. The finds show that the sacred area remained active for centuries and continued to serve religious purposes even after major destruction reshaped the site. The research, led by N. I. Vinokurov, focuses on the southern sanctuary, or temenos, of the ancient Bosporan settlement.
The discoveries came during excavations in 2024 and 2025. Researchers examined more than 470 square meters (5,059 square feet) of the sanctuary and neighboring areas.
The sacred zone stood near the remains of a temple dedicated to Zeus Genarches and Soter. Previous excavations at Artezian uncovered an ancient Greek inscription near the altar of the Temple of Zeus Genarches, offering another glimpse into religious practices at the settlement. The temple belonged to an earlier phase of the site, while later generations continued to use the surrounding ground for rituals.
Archaeologists found altars, sacrificial installations, and pits known as bothroi. Such pits were commonly associated with offerings and religious ceremonies.
Ritual pits held pottery and burnt remains
Two pits, identified as 837 and 845, provided some of the clearest evidence of ritual activity. Researchers found several layers of ash and clay inside the features. Each layer was associated with offerings. These included wheel-made pottery, red-slip vessels, and handmade ceramics.
Many of the vessels had been deliberately placed upside down. Vinokurov argues that at least one feature may originally have served a practical purpose before being converted into a large ritual pit.
Archaeologists at the ancient settlement of Artezian in Crimea have uncovered ritual pits, offerings and evidence of a powerful earthquake that damaged a Greek sanctuary in the 3rd century A.D. pic.twitter.com/iw7vcpYtg3
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 11, 2026
The opening of pit 837 was carefully lined with stone slabs. Researchers believe some of the stones were reused from the ruined Temple of Zeus. A round limestone cover once closed the pit. At some point, the stone split and fell inward. That damage formed part of a wider pattern across the sanctuary.
Archaeologists recorded zigzagging cracks, sinking ground, displaced stonework, and other structural distortions. The study connects these features with a powerful earthquake that struck the region during the second half of the third century A.D.
Earthquakes repeatedly affected sacred sites across the ancient Greek world. Researchers have even examined whether some ancient Greek temples were deliberately built near earthquake fault lines, where seismic activity may have influenced the religious importance of certain locations.
Sanctuary survived repeated destruction
The southern sacred area had a much longer history. Its earliest major structures included the Temple of Zeus Genarches and Soter, along with monumental altars dating to the late Hellenistic period. The temple itself had already suffered major destruction during an earthquake in 63 B.C. Religious activity nevertheless continued around the site for centuries.
The new study shows that worshippers were still building altars and creating ritual pits during the Roman period. Some structures date to the second half of the third century A.D., shortly before or around the time of another major seismic event.
The sanctuary also produced evidence of unusual offerings. Earlier excavations recovered pieces of a large marble statue of Zeus, animal heads, incense burners, coins, terracotta figures, lamps and objects carrying magical graffiti.
Fragments of the statue appear to have been deliberately placed inside sacrificial pits rather than simply discarded. Researchers have interpreted this treatment as having religious meaning.
The discoveries add to evidence of the wider Greek presence in Crimea. The peninsula became home to several Greek settlements around the Black Sea, including Panticapaeum. Its surviving Royal Kurgan is considered an important example of ancient Greek architecture in Crimea and reflects the region’s connections with the Bosporan Kingdom.
Religious practices continued into late antiquity
The eastern altar was restored after earlier destruction and apparently remained in use into the fourth century A.D. Later, the character of the area began to change. Parts of the former sacred zone were turned over to storage, with rows of pits dug for grain. At the same time, religious activity did not disappear immediately.
During the early fourth century, part of the sanctuary developed into what Vinokurov describes as a type of hero shrine centered on the burial of an unidentified leader. Numerous sacrificial pits appeared around the burial.
Artezian has continued to produce evidence of unusual ritual activity. Archaeologists recently reported a 2,100-year-old infant burial beneath the foundation of a temple at the settlement, a discovery researchers have suggested may have been connected with the building’s construction. The settlement itself gradually declined but remained occupied until the end of the fourth century.
The findings suggest that Artezian’s religious landscape changed repeatedly instead of disappearing after a single disaster. Temples collapsed, stonework was reused, and parts of the sanctuary took on practical functions. Yet residents continued returning to the same sacred ground for offerings and ceremonies.
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