The Sacred Landscape at Leska and Minoan Kythera

Book excerpt: This volume presentes the results of the survey and excavation of a second peak sanctuary on Minoan Kythera at Leska. An introduction to the archaeological background of the island is provided, as well as a discussion on peak sanctuaries there and in Minoan Crete. The discovery of Leska and the research conducted there are described, and a discussion of the diachronic use of the summit is presented, following analyses of the material remains (including pottery, figurines, stone vessels, stone tools, and jewelry). Detailed discussions of the active role and significance of the landscape and the cultic practices allow an in-depth analysis of the links between society and cult, and also of the ways in which the landscape and immediate surroundings at Leska were sacralised in the Middle Minoan IB to Late Minoan IB phase. The broader analysis of the sacred landscape on Kythera provides a unique ropportunity to asess Aegean religion during the Minoan period outside Crete.