Abstract: Goddess of Death or Goddess of Grain? A Seventh-
Century B.C.E. “Snake” Goddess from the Athenian Agora Lecturer:
Michael H. Laughy, Jr. In 1932, a large Protoattic votive
deposit was discovered lying directly atop the ruins of a
Geometric period oval building, located near the southwest
corner of the Athenian Agora. This deposit is among the largest
and best preserved seventh-century B.C.E. votive assemblages
found in all of Attica. Included within the deposit are a number
of terracotta tripods, shields, horses, and chariots, as well as
a remarkable terracotta plaque of a goddess with snakes. The
consensus among archaeologists today is that these terracotta
votives are indicative of hero or ancestor worship. A
reexamination of the deposit suggests a rather different
conclusion: the votives came not from a hero or ancestor shrine,
but from a sanctuary to Demeter. The “snake” goddess on the
plaque is none other than Demeter herself. This conclusion has
broader implications for the study of religion in