Once situated on a hill to the west of Eleusis, the sanctuary dedicated to Pan is now somewhere under the “Titan” cement factory. This sacred site was originally nested within a cave, 45 metres above sea level. The cave’s layout included a main chamber, measuring 90 centimetres in width and 5 metres in length. This chamber was accessible through a natural entrance about 80 centimetres wide, leading to a narrow, steep passageway that stretched 70 centimetres wide and 10 metres long.
Despite its religious designation, the cave’s interior, characterised by difficult access and lack of natural light, seems to have not been frequently used for worship. However, innumerable votive offerings were discovered within, including oil lamps, various vessels, clay figurines, and loutrophoroi (amphorae used for bridal baths). These artefacts span from the Classical to the Roman periods and indicate that this main space functioned primarily as a repository for offerings associated with a larger cave located on the hill’s southern side.
When Christianity was established, this cave was converted into a church that seems to have been deserted by the early 19th century. In 1931, rock quarrying at this part of the hill for “Titan” led to the cave’s destruction. The storage chamber was unearthed in March 1955, but its eastern section had been damaged by dynamite used by the factory’s workers to extract materials. Inside it, the aforementioned offerings were discovered buried under stones, which over centuries had been thrown into the cave through its ever-visible entrance. Archaeological investigations revealed that the site had been previously disturbed by treasure seekers, who had rifled through the offerings in search of valuables.
