Sanctuary of the Archaic period, site Bouri, Alepochori, Municipality of Mandra-Eidyllia
In 1996, at the site Bouri, in the west of Alepochori, the remains of a sanctuary of the Archaic period (7th - 6th century BC.) were revealed. The entrance of the building was in the western part, towards the sea. The oikos was surrounded by a peribolos (perimetric wall) in Π-shape, built of sandstone. Between the building and the wall and in the open space to the east as well, a floor made of small pebbles was found, on which there were small circular altars. They included burnt soil, bird bones, pottery and bronze jewelry (brooches). In the eastern part of the building there were two large circular deposit pits, in which numerous offerings were rejected. The findings of the deposit-pits included more than 12,000 objects: pottery, figurines and small objects, mainly metal jewelry.
The vessels are mainly handmade, of small size and maintain painted, impressed or relief decoration. Most of them are unpainted lekythoi or with impressed decoration, hydries (water jugs) with impressed and plastic anthropomorphic decoration, jugs, cups and Corinthian aryballoi. The clay figurines represent individual female figures, many of which are bird-like. There are also a few complexes, which represent cyclic dance. The decoration of the figurines is painted, incised or impressed. Some representatives examples of these findings is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Megara.
The impressive number of offerings suggests the existence of a sanctuary which seems to have attracted many pilgrims from the megarian territory and perhaps from smaller settlements at the Corinthian Gulf during, at least, two centuries. The kind of the offerings indicates the worship of a female deity, possibly of a chthonic character and with a healing ability.
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