Archaeologists working in the Peloponnese have discovered a previously unknown sanctuary dedicated to Demeter in the ancient city-state of Phlius. The temple, which dates to the 4th century BCE, was found to contain hundreds of terracotta votive offerings, including small figurines of pigs and baskets of fruit, which were sacred to the goddess of agriculture.
The excavation has also revealed an underground megaron where secret initiation rites for local women were likely performed. The preservation of the clay votives in their original ritual positions provides a "time capsule" view of the religious life of rural Greece during the late Classical period.