New Discovery in Sicily Sheds Light on Ancient Greek Rituals

Archaeologists found an ancient Greek votive offering from the 5th century BC on Sicily, southern Italy. The votive offering was used in rituals in the ancient Greek city of Akragas, now known as Agrigento.

The findings were made at excavation sites open to the public. This system allows spectators to view the archaeologists at work in the Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park in Agrigento, Sicily. At the site’s northern part of the Temple of Juno (Greek: Hera), archaeologists discovered a display that illustrates the rituals of the inhabitants of Akragas.

Akragas rituals

The display showcases offerings to various gods and ancient Greek rituals practiced by the people of Akragas. For instance, performing a ritual and offering before entering a new home was essential to them. This act was seen as a gesture of respect and reverence to the gods, as well as a means of ensuring divine protection.

The ritual for a new home began with a simple offering placed at the entrance of the future home. It was secured with a nail and then set alight, allowing smoke to rise toward the heavens, symbolizing the gods’ reception of the offering and ensuring divine protection for the household.

The rising smoke signified communication with the gods and endless devotion to them. Through this ritual, the people of Akragas showed their dedication and reverence for the gods they believed in. After the ritual was over, the offering was covered in a ceramic covering which preserved it for about 2,500 years until it was found.

The ritual was a means of establishing a spiritual connection with the gods. This bond extended not only between the ritual performers and the gods, but also between the gods and the new home of the person requesting the ritual.

Archaeologists are hugely interested in this ritual performed by the people of Akragas. The discovery allows researchers to gain further insight into the ancient people’s day-to-day lives. Knowing the ritual habits of the Akragas also provides archaeologists with even more knowledge about the ancient Greek pantheon and what people did to appease or worship the ancient Greek gods.

There have been plenty of other findings at the Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park in Agrigento, including many terracotta busts of ancient deities, oil lamps, vases, and bronze fragments. In addition to the ancient Greek votive found on Sicily, the site of ancient Greek Akragas has generally been a veritable gold mine of archaeological discoveries, with many of the findings being invaluable to the research the scientists at Agrigento, Sicily are conducting.