The Early Cycladic II period (2700-2300 BC) is often referred to as the “golden age” of the Early Cycladic civilisation, precisely because it was a time of great prosperity, marked by significant technological developments and innovations in all areas of cultural creation and expression. Settlements became denser and more developed, reflecting a notable increase in population, which was primarily engaged in agriculture. However, there were also sailors, merchants, and craftsmen. During this period, metallurgy advanced significantly, and marble carving flourished. The sculptors of the Cyclades create elaborate marble vessels, as well as numerous figurines of the so-called “canonical” type -upright female figures with their arms folded beneath their chests.

Toward the end of the Early Cycladic II period (2400-2300 BC), important changes are observed. New settlements with strong fortifications were established, while new cultural elements appeared in pottery and metalworking. In sculpture, the production of marble vessels declined sharply, and figurines lost their standardised form. Some continued to depict female figures, albeit in poses that differed from the “canonical” type. Schematic figurines became more common. Gradually, Cycladic art declined, and by the end of the 3rd millennium BCE, the production of marble figurines had ceased. The widespread changes of this period may have been caused by a range of factors, including population movements, climatic shifts, social unrest, or technological developments. In any case, they mark the end of an era and the decline of an anthropocentric symbolic system which, through the figurines, had expressed the beliefs and aesthetic values of the Cycladic people for centuries.