Tracing the Provenance and Circulation of the Archaic Sculptures found on Delos

This paper examines the provenance of numerous Archaic sculptures found on Delos by analyzing preserved dedicatory inscriptions, material composition, and typological, stylistic, and iconographic criteria. Defining with relative precision the centers where these sculptures—primarily kouroi and korai statues, along with other types—were created serves as a reliable basis for understanding the political, artistic, cultic, and cultural interactions between the sacred island and the places of their origin. These sculptures were often either communal dedications from Archaic poleis or votive offerings from private individuals. On a broader level, these sculptural dedications—alongside other material evidence such as architecture and ceramics—highlight the movement of goods, artists, and ideas from sculptural centers, primarily Naxos, Paros, and beyond, to Delos. This contributes to reconstructing the networks of travel, interaction, and relationships that connected the sacred island to various ancient centers during this period.