Beach pebbles discovered at a 3,500-year-old Minoan-style shrine on the Greek island of Naxos (Greek: Νάξος) have revealed new clues about religious practices and maritime connections in the ancient Aegean. Researchers traced six small volcanic stones to the neighboring islands of Melos (Greek: Μήλος) and Antiparos (Greek: Αντίπαρος), suggesting that sailors traveling between the Cyclades (Greek: Κυκλάδες) may have brought offerings to the mountaintop sanctuary.
The study, led by Tristan Carter of McMaster University in Canada, examined obsidian pebbles recovered from the ancient sanctuary at Stelida. Published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, the research offers new insight into how Bronze Age communities across the Greek islands may have shared religious traditions. However, researchers caution that the discovery does not establish whether visitors from other islands brought the stones or Naxos residents returned from their travels.
Minoan religious traditions reached the Greek island of Naxos
The sanctuary stands on Stelida, a hill overlooking Naxos’s northwestern coast, the largest island in the Cyclades. Excavations in 2019 revealed a religious complex resembling the mountaintop sanctuaries of Minoan Crete. These shrines served as important places of worship during the Bronze Age.
The Naxos sanctuary dates to approximately 1650 to 1400 B.C. It contained three buildings, an altar and a sacred standing stone. Archaeological evidence indicates that worshippers gathered there for ceremonies involving food, drink, and offerings. Its architecture reflects the spread of Minoan-style religious practices beyond Crete and into the Cyclades, where island communities maintained close connections through maritime travel.
Following the volcanic eruption on Thera, now Santorini, parts of the complex were rebuilt, and thousands of previously deposited pebbles were buried near the main shrine. Archaeologists recovered 10,713 pebbles from the site, the largest collection documented at a Minoan-style sanctuary. Most were ordinary rocks commonly found on Naxos. However, 15 were made of obsidian, a volcanic glass that does not naturally occur on the island.
Rare pebbles reveal Bronze Age connections across the Cyclades
Researchers examined six obsidian pebbles using portable X-ray fluorescence, a method that identifies the chemical composition of stone. Their analysis traced five pebbles to Melos, approximately 51 to 56 miles from Naxos. The sixth came from Antiparos, less than 19 miles away.
A handful of beach pebbles may hold clues to ancient Aegean sailors. Archaeologists traced stones found at a 3,500-year-old Minoan-style shrine on Naxos to Melos and Antiparos, suggesting a possible link between seafaring and religious rituals in the Bronze Age. pic.twitter.com/AIMg2vGQua
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) November 2, 2026
Melos was a major source of obsidian in the ancient Aegean. Its volcanic glass circulated widely through maritime trade networks, reaching communities across the Greek islands and beyond. Archaeological discoveries have shown that obsidian from Melos was transported across the Aegean thousands of years before the Minoan civilization emerged.
The Antiparos pebble was more unusual. Obsidian from the island rarely appears in archaeological records. Researchers identified the Stelida example as the latest known use of this material and the only documented instance of it reaching another island. Archaeologists also recovered pottery imported from Melos and Thera in the sanctuary’s workshop-chapel, where two of the obsidian pebbles were found.
Did ancient sailors bring offerings to the sanctuary?
Researchers suggest that worshippers may have collected handfuls of stones from beaches and carried them to Stelida as religious offerings. Tiny seashells found among the pebbles support this possibility. Their presence suggests people gathered beach material without deliberately selecting every object.
The sanctuary’s location may also have been important. Stelida overlooks Grotta, a major Bronze Age settlement and harbor on Naxos. Its twin summits would have served as a recognizable landmark for sailors approaching the island. These features raise the possibility that seafaring communities participated in ceremonies at the sanctuary. However, the stones cannot reveal whether those involved were visiting merchants, sailors, or residents.
Naxos also holds a prominent place in Greek mythology, particularly the story of Theseus and Ariadne. According to legend, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island after she helped him escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth on Crete. Ariadne later became associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
Researchers have considered whether the Stelida sanctuary might have been connected to Ariadne, but no archaeological evidence has confirmed that possibility. The findings offer new insight into the maritime connections that linked religious communities across the Bronze Age Aegean. Further analysis could determine whether more of the sanctuary’s thousands of pebbles came from beaches beyond Naxos.
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