18.9 at the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore (Beregovoy 4)

The paper is dedicated to a unique find made in 2002 during excavations atthe Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore in the Taman Peninsula. The find is an assemblageof metal relief plaques hidden in the lower part of a miniature red clay hydria. The vesselwas covered by a sherd and hidden in soil near a stone. The assemblage includes onegold plaque shaped as a medallion with an impression of a satyr head and several silverplaques featuring different images such as a walking male figure dressed in a long garment with a wreath on his head holding a stick/rod in his hand (1 plaque with a round loop forhanging); paired images of the eyes (4 plaques); single images of the hands (2 plaques);and naked male figures standing en face (2 plaques). (Two more plaques have not beencleaned yet; one plaque is not interpretable, and one plaque has been lost.) The paper hasattempted to interpret these schematic and realistic images in the context of the EleusinianCult. The author comes to the conclusion that, in all likelihood, these plaques are metalparts of the sacred objects (or parts of vestments) used by a hierophant (?) at the GreaterMysteries, rather than regular votive offerings.