For more than one thousand years, people from every corner of the Greco-Roman world sought the hope for a blessed afterlife through initiation into the Mysteries of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis. In antiquity itself and in our memory of antiquity, the Eleusinian Mysteries stand out as the oldest and most venerable mystery cult. Despite the tremendous popularity of the Eleusinian Mysteries, their origins are unknown. Because they are lost in an era without written records, they can only be reconstructed with the help of archaeology. This book provides a much-needed synthesis of the archaeology of Eleusis during the Bronze Age and reconstructs the formation and early development of the Eleusinian Mysteries. The discussion of the origins of the Eleusinian Mysteries is complemented with discussions of the theology of Demeter and an update on the state of research in the archaeology of Eleusis from the Bronze Age to the end of antiquity.

Introduction
Part I. Myth and Cult: 1. Myths and legends
2. The theology of Demeter at Eleusis
Part II. The Site and its Exploration: 3. Landscape and environment
4. The exploration of Eleusis
Part III. The Archaeology and Monuments of Eleusis: 5. Early Bronze Age
6. Middle Bronze Age
7. Early Mycenaean
8. The period of the palaces (LH IIIA2 to LH IIIB)
9. The post-palatial period
10. The post-Bronze Age history of the Sanctuary
Part IV. The Origins and Early Development of the Eleusinian Mysteries: 11. Theories about the origins of the Mysteries
12. The origins and early development of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Subject Areas: Ancient religions & mythologies [HRKP], History of religion [HRAX], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1]