Stelida: Flint Source and Peak Sanctuary

Stelida brings together several archaeological themes that offer different perspectives on the site's past. The flint source represents a broadly defined period of use. At the peak sanctuary, there is a building with specified material and precise measurements, ritual deposits, and other finds. There is also strong evidence of repeated visits by early pre-Sapiens species during the cold periods of the Pleistocene. If cultural history influences your choice of hotel destination, Stelida offers several distinct points of interest.

The flint source and its broad timeframe

The flint source at Stelida was used from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic, approximately from 250,000 to 7000 BC. This span connects two period designations with an explicitly approximate date range. It offers a different perspective on the site's past from the specific descriptions of the structure and finds at the peak sanctuary. The focus at the source is a broad period of use, not a single event.

The peak sanctuary: structure and classification

The building at the peak sanctuary is made of local flint or chert nodules and measures 7 × 6 m. The material and measurements describe different aspects of the structure: the rock is identified, and the dimensions make its size concrete. This makes it possible to understand the sanctuary not only by its designation but also by the described structure.

The peak sanctuary belongs to the small group of Minoan peak sanctuaries outside Crete. This classification adds a cultural-historical context to the specific information about its building material and dimensions. Stelida is therefore notable both for a particular structure and for its place in a group defined by its geographical and cultural context.

Ritual deposits and other finds

Excavations at the peak sanctuary uncovered ritual deposits of conical cups and pebbles, as well as food remains in their original locations. The finds thus include both objects and food remains; their original position is also part of the evidence. Along with the types of finds, this provides another concrete point of reference for interpretation.

Objects used for cultic purposes or as offerings were also found in or around the building at the peak sanctuary: a stone ladle, bronze anthropomorphic figures, and a bronze foot-shaped object. The objects had fallen down the slope. The finds include different materials and forms: stone and bronze, a ladle, human-shaped figures, and a foot-shaped object. These differences illustrate the range of finds without attributing the same form or material to them.

Early visits during the Pleistocene

There is strong evidence of repeated visits to Stelida by early pre-Sapiens species during the cold periods of the Pleistocene. This perspective complements the approximate dating of the flint source with evidence of recurring visits during specific parts of the Pleistocene. Different timeframes are therefore represented: a broad period of use for the source and repeated visits during cold periods.

If you are looking for a hotel in Stelida for your trip and take cultural history into account when choosing a destination, these themes offer several points of interest: the long timeframe of the flint source, the sanctuary's dimensions and material, and its deposits and other finds.

Discover more destinations: Schinoussa, Naxos, Ano Potamia, Galíni, Chora, Arkesini, Amorgós and Koufonisia.

Return to the main travel guide: Naxos.