La scoperta di una statua fittile dal Thesmophorion di Orchomenos in Beozia

During investigations carried out in recent years in Orchomenos (Boeotia) in a sacred space identified with a Tesmophorion, a considerable amount of material has been brought to light. Among such material, two large fragments (respectively part of the bust and a small part of the hairs) can be associated with a large female terracotta sculpture. This paper contains firstly a brief review of the structures of the sanctuary, the offerings and other materials found there and their distribution across space and time. Secondly, a thorough analysis of the fragments of the statue, along with a comparison with some examples of marble sculpture and with representations of Demeter in attic reliefs of the end of the 5th century BC, allows to propose an hypothetical reconstruction of the original iconography of the sculpture and its historical, artistic and chronological framing. Finally, further considerations are delineated on the role of the statue, perhaps a worship statue rather than an offering, starting from the cumulative analysis of the previously explained elements with the place in which the fragments have been found (an oikos placed on the slopes of the hill), and with their association with a considerable number of terracotta crowns