Somewhere in or under this part of the temple, the oracle occurred. It's easy to discuss archeology, politics, or social conditions. These require no facing of complex metaphysical issues. But there is no way to say 'what really happened' without answering those.

But what can be done is to narrow down the issues. First, let's observe that the priestess, the Pythia, was a woman and that (so the best evidence indicates) she did indeed say something that determined what message was given back. In other words, the central shrine of the misogynist Greeks, the agency that cities deferred to, that even Sparta followed - was a woman. And not a young, naive woman, but an older, mature woman, part of a group of women.

Secondly, while no cavern has been found, no cave, in the late 1990s researchers did find that fissures in the rocks were located under the temple. And that from these fissures, ethane and methane gas is produced. And that these gases can indeed produce altered states of consciousness - but probably requiring concentrations higher than has been shown to be emitted now. So theories of the site that are based on everything being politics or being a total con game, or the like without anything to justify why the ancients chose this particular site seem less likely.

On the other hand, there seems no denying that Delphi was the political nerve center of Greece and that an active, intelligent person situated there would be in a fine position to gather intelligence on what was going on - indeed, if he could obtain the confidence of those coming to ask questions, he'd be in a better position than officials in an individual city. So, those around the oracle certainly knew inside information on those coming to ask questions.

What we don't know is extensive. We apparently know next to nothing of the social life of the priestesses, nor do they figure in non-oraclural utterances. But it seems very unlikely that they never were contacted or influenced, or courted. And of course, our science cannot tell us if gods speak, or what it means when they do.

Some 5-600 oracles are known from Delphi, scattered throughout ancient literature. And they are famed for their ambiguity. Even if you feel confident that you have a message from the beyond, isn't it interesting that it is still ambiguous?