Archaeologists in Eretria, Euboea, have identified a hidden sanctuary dedicated to Demeter and Persephone, containing the remains of three specialized ritual pits (megara). These pits held the bones of piglets and pine-cone offerings, characteristic of the Thesmophoria, a secret, three-day festival celebrated exclusively by married women in ancient Greece.
The excavation is significant because it provides a rare glimpse into the clandestine nature of female-led rituals. The artifacts found, including small clay lanterns and pomegranate-shaped beads, highlight the complexity of the "secret" ceremonies that ensured the fertility of the city’s crops and its citizens.