Archaeology, Ritual, Religion

The archaeology of religion is a much neglected area, yet religious sites and artifacts constitute a major area of archaeological evidence. Timothy Insoll here presents an introductory statement on the archaeology of religion, examining what archaeology can tell us about religion, the problems of defining and theorizing religion in archaeology, and the methodology, or how to "do", the archaeology of religion. This volume assesses religion and ritual through a range of examples from around the world and across time, including prehistoric religions, shamanism, African religions, death, landscape, and even food. Insoll also discusses the history of research and varying theories in this field before looking to future research directions. This book will be a valuable guide for students and archaeologists, and will initiate a major area of debate.