One of the significant sanctuaries of Euboea?whose history is linked to the naval Battle of Artemisium?is that of Artemis Proseoia. It is situated on the low hill of Agios Georgios at Pefki, immediately south of the road leading from Istiaia to the villages of Artemisio and to Chalkis. According to ancient sources, the sanctuary was located near the beach where the Greek ships were stationed. According to Plutarch?s description, the sanctuary was a small temple set within a grove, while various votive stelai stood around it. One of these stelai was the trophy dedicated to the goddess by the Athenians after the war.

Descriptions in ancient sources indicate that the sanctuary already existed at the time of the Battle of Artemisium in 480 BC. The date of the sanctuary's founding is unknown, as is its history over time. Two inscriptions provide some insights into its history and the worship of the goddess. The first, housed in the Epigraphical Museum, dates to the second half of the 2nd century BC or the early 1st century BC and lists the names of those who contributed to the reconstruction of the sanctuary and the dedication of a cult statue.

It is not known, however, whether this statue replaced an earlier one. The funds raised at the time amounted to 8,125 drachmae?a very large sum for the size of the sanctuary, though it serves as an indication of the extensive scope and opulence of the work undertaken. A copy of this inscription, now housed in the Archaeological Collection of Oreoi, was likely originally erected in Oreoi, the region's civic center. A second inscription found at the sanctuary, dating to the 4th or 3rd century BC, refers to the ?pyrrhichios? dance; the dance was performed in honor of the goddess Artemis, who is referred to by the epithet ?Agrotera?.

The goddess Artemis is known by the epithet ?Agrotera?, and the ?Pyrrhichios? dance was performed in her honor. It is likely that local youths performed this dance to commemorate the naval battle, thereby linking the worship of the goddess to that event. Finally, an analysis of the inscription on a herm?currently in the Archaeological Collection of Oreoi and dating to the mid-5th century BC?suggests that the stele was dedicated to the goddess's sanctuary by Kephalos, son of Hegemon, and placed at the sanctuary's entrance. The sanctuary of Artemis appears to have been destroyed by fire shortly after 569 AD, as evidenced by the discovery of a ?forty-nummi? coin issued by Emperor Justin II.

The brief excavation brought to light a large building dating to the Roman or Early Byzantine period. Measuring 30 by 13 meters, it occupies the entire hilltop. A few architectural elements and a section of the architrave from the ancient temple were discovered. Taking Plutarch's description into account, the excavator hypothesized that the Temple of Artemis was of the Doric order, with dimensions of approximately 6.50 by 13 meters. He further surmised that it featured two columns on the facade, positioned between the extensions of the long walls.

Fragments of a painted terracotta ?sima? (roof gutter) were also recovered from the temple, along with ?akroteria? (roof ornaments) dating to the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The cult statue of the goddess stood within the temple's interior. The excavator also reports the discovery of white marble sculptures: a 0.45-meter-high fragment of the torso of a draped female statue, a stelai fragment depicting a ?gorgoneion?, and a stelai fragment depicting two female figures.

However, apart from the Artemision inscription, all other finds are now considered lost.

The discovery of the Artemision inscription on the hill of Agios Georgios in Pefki in the late 19th century prompted the German archaeologist G. Lolling to initiate excavations in the area with the aim of uncovering the sanctuary. The excavation began in 1883 and lasted only seven days. Yet, its results were highly significant, as they led to the discovery of the sanctuary of Artemis Proseoia. In 1910, the small church of Agios Georgios was built, and later the cemetery for the modern settlement of Pefki was established in the area?indicating that Lolling?s excavation had been forgotten.

Excavation on the hill continues to this day north of the more recent church of Saint George, at the large Late Roman/Early Byzantine building that is gradually being brought to light, along with several graves from the same period.