Sentence:  The hypothesis that the cult center was in some such place would explain why it was <WSD>altarless</WSD>. It would resemble the cult of Hestia, the sacred Hearth, a cult that was generally housed in public or private buildings and was usually <WSD>altarless</WSD> because the sacred fire of the hearth substituted for an altar. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Not having an altar.