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Why did ancient Greeks continue to worship old wooden cult statues?

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Painting by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo showing crowds pulling the large wooden Trojan Horse into the city of Troy, with excited figures and ancient buildings in the background. — Greek mythology Oil on canvas by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, c. 1760; in the National Gallery, London.

In ancient Greek religion, the continued worship of old wooden cult statues—often referred to as xoana—was primarily driven by the profound sense of awe inspired by their extreme antiquity.1

While Greek sculptors eventually achieved unparalleled skill in creating idealized, anthropomorphic figures in bronze and marble, these newer artistic developments did not replace the religious significance of the older, primitive wooden images. In many cases, these ancient statues were attributed to the legendary craftsman Daedalus.1

The persistence of these objects highlights a key aspect of Greek religious life: while the art itself evolved, cultic activity remained deeply conservative. The veneration of these ancient icons demonstrates that for the Greeks, the spiritual power and sanctity of a cult object were often tied more to its historical longevity and traditional role than to the aesthetic sophistication of the sculpture.1