Crossroads Roundup: Apollo's Sinking Island, Inca Temple Complex Discovered, and New Theories on Stonehenge's Construction

Our favorite stories on art, archaeology, folklore, and more from this past week.

Welcome to the Crossroads Roundup! This is our weekly roundup of news related to history, art, archaeology, and anything else that our readers might enjoy. While many of our essays are free, the Crossroads Roundup is for paid subscribers only. If you haven’t already, you can sign up below to gain access to the full archive, the Patron Podcast, and the Crossroads Roundup:

Happy July, patrons! Stay tuned for the upcoming episode of the Patron Podcast, which will premiere tomorrow. This latest episode is called “Mermaids, Sirens, and Medieval Romance,” in which we’ll explore how the mermaid transformed from the villain to the protagonist of her story. Be sure to keep your eye out for it!

And now, for the news:

The island of Delos, known in Greek mythology as the birthplace of Apollo, is sinking.

Terrace of the Lions, ca. roughly 600 B.C. Delos, Greece. Via Wikimedia Commons.

At just 1.3 square miles (or 3.37 square kilometers), Delos is an incredibly significant ancient Greek site.

In Greek mythology, Delos is the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. By the ninth century B.C., it became an Apollonian sanctuary, and throughout classical antiquity, Delos served as an important site of pilgrimage and trade. Today, the island remains packed with ruins, and tourists can visit the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Temple of Isis, the famous Terrace of the Lions (pictured above), and more.

This ancient site, which has defied time and nature for over 2,000 years, may soon meet its end due to the impacts of climate change. As the head of the French Archaeological School of Athens (EFA), Veronique Chankowski, announced this week, “Delos is condemned to disappear in around 50 years.”