Back to the roots of ancient Sicily : The role of the Anatolians in light of the presence of Cybele in prehistoric time

Pedrucci, Giulia (2025) Back to the roots of ancient Sicily : The role of the Anatolians in light of the presence of Cybele in prehistoric time. ACTA ANTIQUA ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM HUNGARICAE, 65 (3-4). pp. 355-366. ISSN 0044-5975

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Abstract

This paper reconsiders the presence of the Anatolian goddess Cybele in Sicily through a critical reassessment of archaeological, iconographic, and coroplastic evidence, with particular attention to the rock sanctuary of the Santoni at Akrai and the rock carvings of Cava d’Ispica. Traditionally viewed as a cult introduced through Greek colonization, Cybele’s presence in Sicily may instead reflect earlier, pre-Hellenic contacts with the Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis highlights significant parallels with Phrygian religious landscapes—such as votive niches, symbolic stairways, and rock altars—as well as a corpus of figurines and musical iconography found in both indigenous and Hellenized sanctuaries. These elements suggest that the cult of the Mother Goddess may have found fertile ground in local religious traditions, often interpreted through the figures of Demeter and Kore. Ultimately, the case of Cybele provides a valuable lens through which to explore processes of religious transmission, ethnogenesis, and identity formation in the ancient Mediterranean.

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