Natural Features in Greek Cult Places and Ritual. The Case of Athens

Queensland Friends of the Archaeological Institute at Athens (QFAAIA) Public Lecture

Presenter: Professor Katja Sporn (German Archaeological Institute at Athens), AAIA Visiting Professor 2016

Greek sanctuaries have been connected with monumental architecture since a long time, especially with temple architecture, altars and functional buildings. But natural features were sometimes predecessors of architectural elements; in other cases, even in Hellenistic Times and later, they intentionally outlined the sacred places, as has been recently shown, especially in various cities of Asia Minor. The lecture will discuss various types of natural elements associated with ritual places in Athens: caves, rock-cut features, trees and groves, as well as water. A major issue will be to trace the role and function of these elements in the cult of the sites.