🗺️ In the Footsteps of the Goddess 🗺️
The May Expedition: Mapping Artemis Across Myth, Mountain & Museum
Dear friends and fellow seekers,
With spring stirring and the veil thinning between past and present, I’m thrilled to share the full itinerary for the May 2025 Artemis Mapping Expedition, a journey that will take Sandra (
) and me across southern and northern Greece in search of temples, inscriptions, relics, and stories tied to the goddess Artemis.This expedition is part of the ongoing Artemis Mapping Project, a passion-fueled initiative to rediscover and re-document the sacred geography of Artemis through archaeological sites, museum collections, and mythic memory. As always, I’ll be documenting it all, from the dust on my boots to the quiet awe of finding an ancient votive behind museum walls.
Let’s begin with where we’re headed…
May 2–14: Southern Greece – Napflion & Patras
Sandra and I will kick off the expedition in Napflion, one of the most beautiful coastal towns in Greece, and a perfect base for exploring the Argolid.
🗺️ May 3: We’ll likely begin at Mycenae and Tiryns, two Bronze Age citadels rich in myth and mystery. The Museum at Mycenae holds relics that whisper of priestesses and cult practices, what might we learn about early goddess veneration here? Could Artemis have roots in this golden age of heroes?
🗺️ May 4: We’ll venture to Epidavros, home of the grand healing sanctuary of Asclepius, and two temples dedicated to Artemis. I’m especially excited about this day, as we’ll be looking into how Artemis functioned in healing and transition, and what relationship she held with Asclepius and Hygieia.
🗺️ May 5: Our research leads us to Ancient Oinoi and the Artemision, possibly located on the rugged Gortsouli hill. This could be one of those “hidden in plain sight” shrines. We may have to hike a little (Sandra’s favourite lol), but it’s worth it for even a glimpse of column fragments or sacred topography.
🗺️ May 6: En route to Patras, we plan a stop at the Heraion near Argos, a sanctuary to Hera, but significant as a potential overlapping cult site for Artemis in her roles as guardian of boundaries and transition. Here, we’re looking for signs of shared rites or symbolic transitions between goddesses.
🗺️ May 7–10: Patras will be a major focus, this city held four or five known temples of Artemis. With the generous guidance of a local museum ephorate (a powerful woman steward of ancient knowledge), we hope to access artifacts not yet on display, housed behind museum walls. I’ll be documenting everything I can, and yes, you’ll be getting that exclusive BTS content: photos, videos, my notes and sketches, and possibly a virtual walkthrough of the collections.
We’ll also travel to Aigion, Trapeza, and Ancient Aegira, where we hope to find the Temple of Artemis Iphigenia. These are lesser-known sites, sometimes overgrown, sometimes closed, but each holds potential whispers of Artemis’s presence through dedications, votives, or even inscriptions.
🗺️ May 11–13: Thermos, Olympia, and Ancient Elis are on the schedule, including Artemis Thermia and Artemis Philomeirax. These sites are more rural and often overlooked, but I have a hunch we’ll find traces of her in the cracks, quite literally. If we can find foundation stones or relics connected to the goddess, it would expand our mapping significantly.
And of course, all of this work, the driving, hiking, filming, documenting, is made possible by your support. I’m still teaching online during this time to help fund the trip, so thank you for giving me the freedom to follow Artemis’s trail while staying connected to my students.
May 14–20: CRETE! Filming with From The Goddess
Right after we return the car in Athens, I’ll fly out to Crete, where I’ll meet up with Laura Hirch, the filmmaker behind From The Goddess. We’ll be filming for Season 2, and I’ll be taking her to some of my favourite Cretan sanctuaries, including possibly Artemis Dictynna’s coastal temple and sacred caves like the Cave of the Bear.
I’ll be sharing candid photos and video clips from the shoot (including the funny ones Laura doesn’t want you to see), as well as mini-interviews and reflections about the experience of being filmed while discussing these ancient spaces.
Watch my interview with Laura Hirch where we talk about her documentary and her important work here:
May 20–June 3: Northern Greece – Amphipolis, Thessaloniki, and Beyond
This leg of the journey takes us into the wild north, where Artemis’s worship blended with Thracian, Macedonian, and even Anatolian influences.
🗺️ May 21: The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is one of the richest in the country. While the temple of Artemis north of the city hasn’t yet been found, we’ll be chasing clues, inscriptions, fragmentary dedications, and topographical hints.
🗺️ May 22–24: From Chalkidiki to Philippi to Amphipolis, we’re mapping Artemis sites often left out of textbooks. At Amphipolis, we’ll visit both the museum and the excavation site, as well as the famed Lion of Amphipolis, perhaps once standing as a guardian figure linked to her cult.
🗺️ May 25–31: We’ll explore a series of sanctuaries, many of which are dedicated to Artemis, the Mother of the Gods, or Eileithyia, showing how these goddesses often coexisted or were syncretized in different regions. We’ll visit Dion, Vergina, Pella, and even Kozani , mapping Artemis Vaphyria, Iolkia, and other local epithets.
🗺️ June 2: Our final drive back to Athens takes us past Volos and the Temple of Artemis Iolkia, a stunning way to end a whirlwind, goddess-filled expedition.
💫 For Paid Subscribers: Your Exclusive Access
As a paid subscriber, you’ll be receiving a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes content throughout the expedition:
📸 Photos and video diaries from the field (including museum basements and off-limits areas)
🎙️ Audio reflections and updates while on the road
🏺 Artifact spotlights with history, interpretations, and connections to Artemis’s evolving identity
🔐 Access to research notes, sketches, site impressions, and PDF downloads from the Mapping Project archive
🎥 Sneak peeks from my work with From The Goddess before they're released publicly
Your support means more than I can express. This journey is more than just archaeology or mythology, it’s about rekindling the story of Artemis, and the women, landscapes, and memories tied to her flame.
With fierce love and scholarly mischief,
Dr. Carla Ionescu
Your resident Artemis tracker 🏹
Scholarly mischief!! Yes, my favorite kind of scholarship. 😈