The temple is located on the Aegean coast about 38 km east of Athens, and at a place called Vravrona. B is pronounced as V in Modern Greek, so Bravronia is called today Vravrona. It is one of the earliest and most revered of the sanctuaries of Attica. The Bravronian Artemis was worshipped as the goddess of vegetation and hunting, and as the protector of women in child-birth and of the newborn.
The most notable monuments of the site are the big Stoa of Doric style, the Temple of Artemis, the Temple or Heroon of Iphigenia and the Stone Bridge. Finds from the sanctuary are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Bravrona.
The sanctuary consists of a pile of old stones, or as the literature puts it “a cave, sacred spring, and a court enclosed by a temple and a three-winged stoa. The stoa housed the votive dedications and numerous dining rooms. Inscriptions mention other buildings including a palaestra and gymnasium, which have not been yet excavated.
Rituals included dancing by “Arktoi”, girls aged 5 to 10 dressed as bears and is usually interpreted as a rite of passage preparing the girls for puberty and marriage. Artemis goddess of hunt & protector of children, was the twin of Apollo god of prophecy.
