This volume investigates the nature and significance of the vast collections of precious objects housed within the Parthenon and the Erechtheion in ancient Athens. Diane Harris, a specialist in classical archaeology, utilizes the primary evidence of annually inscribed inventories created by Athenian officials to reconstruct the material culture of these sacred spaces. By translating these inscriptions for the first time, the author establishes a framework for understanding how these items functioned within the religious and civic life of the city-state.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational resource for scholars of Athenian epigraphy and temple administration. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous analysis of primary source material for those interested in the material culture of the classical period.