Excavations near the Mycenaean palace of Pylos have revealed a series of rectangular libation pits lined with imported lapis lazuli and crushed white marble. The pits were found filled with carbonized grains, honey residues, and fragments of ornate ceramic drinking cups, indicating they were the focus of intensive agricultural rituals during the Late Bronze Age.
The specific arrangement of the pits aligns with the rising of the Pleiades constellation, providing physical evidence for the 'Festival of the Sown Field' mentioned in fragmentary Linear B tablets. This festival likely served as a formal state-sponsored ritual where the ruling elite and the common citizenry converged to consecrate the earth before the spring planting season, ensuring both political unity and a bountiful harvest.