The Story of Atlantis
These were sometimes carved in wood or in hard black stone like basalt, but among the wealthy it became the fashion to have their statues cast in one of the precious metals, aurichalcum, gold or silver.
Of rare earths and metals they built, and out of the fires vomited, out of the white stone of the mountains and of the black stone, they cut their own images in their size and likeness, and worshipped them." Shrines were placed in temples in which the statue of each man, wrought in gold or silver, or carved in stone or wood, was adored by himself.
Cybele and her consort Attis
Black Stone: The black stone, believed to be a meteoric object and the representation of Cybele, was brought to Rome and housed in her temple.
Following the consultation of the Sibylline Books, Roman authorities decided to bring the sacred black stone representing Cybele from her Phrygian sanctuary in Pessinus to Rome.
The sacred black stone, believed to be a meteorite and considered an aniconic representation of the goddess, was also kept within the temple.