THEA Anc. Antheia - 2005

Thea (anc. Antheia). M. Petropoulos reports the discovery of a small shrine during a rescue excavation. This consisted of an orthogonal built altar, part of a 2-roomed building and 5 pits which either contained the remains of sacrificial victims and pottery vessels, or were for offerings. No temple was located. Finds, dating from the LGeo to LHel, were numerous − to date, intact figurines and miniature vessels number over 40,000. The minature vessels are mostly drinking shapes, with hydriae, kraters, lekythoi, kernoi and aryballoi. The deity is identified as Demeter on the basis of an inscribed perirrhanterion (ΑΙΣΧΡΕΑΣ Δ[ΑΜΑΤΡΙ]), noting also the popularity of female hydrophoroi among the figurines. The epithet ‘Poteriophorou’, applied to the cult of Demeter at Antheia by Athenaios (Deipnosophistai 11.46d), fits the iconography and choice of pottery shapes at the Thea shrine, supporting the identification of Thea as anc. Antheia.