Archaeology Of Cult Research Articles

The Archaeology of Cult of Ancient Israel’s Southern Neighbors and the Midianite-Kenite Hypothesis


 The Midianite-Kenite hypothesis, the idea that the pre-Israelite roots of Yahwism can be traced back to the areas south and southeast of Palestine, has a long pedigree in biblical scholarship. Analyses supporting this view generally agree in three main points. First, they assume that the influence of the southern cultic practices on Yahwism occurred during a restricted period of time, traditionally dated to the Early Iron Age. Second, they see the origins of Yahwism through the lenses of diffusionist perspectives, characterizing this process as a movement or migration of one or a few determined groups to Canaan. And third, adequate analyses of the archaeological evidence of the arid areas to the south of Palestine are few. In this article I will turn the interpretation of the epigraphic and archaeological evidence upside down. Instead of looking to the (mostly biblical) evidence on the origins of the cult of Yahweh and assuming its genesis lies in movements of people from the southern regions to Canaan in the Early Iron Age, I will focus attention on the history of the cultic practices in the Negev, southern Transjordan, and northern Hejaz during the entire Iron Age, and how this information is related to the religious practices known in Judah and Israel during the biblical period, shedding new light on the prehistory of the cult of Yahweh. I will evaluate the evidence not as a single, exceptional event, but as a long-term process within the several-millennia history of cultic practices and beliefs of the local peoples.

The archaeology of ancient cult: from foundation deposits to religion in Roman Mithraism

In the past two decades, the “archaeology of religion” has moved from the margins of scholarship to the center, led by the growth of postprocessual archaeological hermeneutics. 1 Such theoretical frames – whether the materiality of religion, objects as agents, the entanglement of humans and objects, or “thing theory” – demonstrate the centrality of the physical world and its archaeological correlates to religion. They offer new ways of posing questions about the construction of meanings for worshippers through materials.2

A Feeling in their Bones: Issues of Deciphering Animal Ritual in the Archaeological Record among the Naskapi Innu and Eastern Cree

Whether religion and ritual are elements of past cultures that can be studied effectively by archaeologists has divided experts for some time within the discipline. This paper examines specific animal rituals from two mobile hunter gatherer groups from Canada’s North, the Naskapi Innu and Eastern Cree, in relation to Colin Renfrew’s 1985 book The Archaeology of Cult. In this paper I seek to demonstrate that the archaeological concepts and methods put forth in Renfrew’s (1985) work, related to analyzing religious and ritual contexts in large scale sedentary societies, cannot be neatly applied to Northern mobile hunter gatherer groups because of the nature of their movements across the landscape and their unique ritual relationships with animals. By going into detail describing, and subsequently analyzing the practical implications of the animal rituals and beliefs held by the Naskapi Innu and Eastern Cree, it is my goal to call more attention to the archaeological study of small scale mobile societies and their ritual practices that defy conventional methodologies for discerning and analyzing ritual in the archaeological record.

Book Review of Cult in Context: Reconsidering Ritual in Archaeology, edited by David A. Barrowclough and Caroline Malone; The Archaeology of Ritual, edited by Evangelos Kyriakidis

The two books under review, The Archaeology of Ritual and Cult in Context: Reconsidering Ritual in Archaeology, are among the most recent contributions to a burgeoning subdiscipline that examines the material record for manifestations and evidence of highly symbolic behavior. On the surface, both books address different aspects of the same problem: What are the conclusions that scholars can draw, based on the material record, about how a population performed symbolically charged activities? Beyond that, what do they add to the rapidly growing stack of books in this field?

The Archaeology of Ritual (Book Review)

The two books under review, The Archaeology of Ritual and Cult in Context: Reconsidering Ritual in Archaeology, are among the most recent contributions to a burgeoning subdiscipline that examines the material record for manifestations and evidence of highly symbolic behavior. On the surface, both books address different aspects of the same problem: What are the conclusions that scholars can draw, based on the material record, about how a population performed symbolically charged activities? Beyond that, what do they add to the rapidly growing stack of books in this field?

From Polis to Borders: Demarcation of Social and Ritual Space in the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Kalaureia, Greece

This article focuses on three interrelated themes in the study of ancient Greek religion, looked at through the mateiral evidence from the sanctuary of Poseidon at Kalaureia on the island of Poros, Greece. First, I look at the so-called polis model and its applicability to an interpretation of Kalaureian material related to the cultic life of the sanctuary from the point of view of the 'historiography' of Greek religion. I then discuss the historical context of the archaeological material, with particular emphasis on the topic of the sanctuary as a known place of asylum particularly during the Hellenistic period. Thirdy, I examine the archaeological material related to eating and dining and its potential connections to the demarcation between sacred and profane activities and between sacralised and profane space in the sanctuary, with special interpretative attention to the significance of border(s) and boundaries. Drawing attention to these issues may help us understand the dynamics and interplay between 'official' and 'private' aspects of ancient Greek religion, within both the tradition of the scholarship of ancient Greek religion and the so-called 'archaeology of cult'.

Cult Archaeology and Creationism. Francis B. Harrold and Raymond A. Eve, editors. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, 1987. xiii + 150 pp., references, appendix. $20.00 (cloth).

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The Archaeology of Cult — The Sanctuary at Phylakopi

The Archaeology of Cult — The Sanctuary at Phylakopi

The Archaeology of Cult and the Chalcolithic Sanctuary at Gilat

The identification, excavation and interpretation of a ceremonial centre is one of the most challenging undertakings in archaeology today (Renfrew 1985: 1). For ancient Palestine, the Negev desert, Chalcolithic (ca. 4500-3500 BC) site of Gilat provides a unique opportunity to investigate early religion along the eastern Mediterranean seaboard. In this paper, the archaeological correlates for cult practice, the role of cult in Chalcolithic society, and some aspects of the ideology underlying cult practices are tested and presented. Finally, trade in exotic items is examined as a mechanism for promoting and reinforcing social elites associated with the Gilat sanctuary.

Cult Archaeology and Creationism: Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs about the Past.

UFOs and aliens, unexplained mysteries, religious cults, diffusion, creationism. We are all familiar with beliefs about human life that lie outside traditional scientific boundaries. Notions such as these are considered reasonable by vast numbers of us in the western world, in our modern technological and educated cultures. Understanding why this should be so and how we as a society might deal with these widespread pseudoscientific beliefs are the subjects at the heart of this study. The authors - specialists in anthropology, archaeology, sociology, psychology, and history - explore creationism, which claims that there is evidence to support a literal interpretation of the origins of the world and of humanity as narrated in the Book of Genesis, and cult archaeology, which encompasses a wide range of fantastic beliefs about our past. Cult Archaeology and Creationism contains several essays on the history of pseudoscientific beliefs and their current manifestations as well as the results of a unique research project in which students at five campuses across the country were asked about their beliefs and about such background factors as their school experience and religious faith. This expanded edition also includes two new essays, one on Afrocentrism and another that views cult archaeology and creationism in the 1990s and beyond.

Cult Archaeology and Creationism: Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs about the Past. Edited by Francis B. Harrold and Raymond A. Eve. University of Iowa Press. 163 pp. $20.00

Cult Archaeology and Creationism: Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs about the Past. Edited by Francis B. Harrold and Raymond A. Eve. University of Iowa Press. 163 pp. $20.00

Rejected Enlightenment: Cult Archaeology and Creationism . Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs about the Past. Francis B. Harrold and Raymond A. Eve, Eds. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, 1987. xii, 163 pp., illus. $20. Based on a symposium, 1986

Rejected Enlightenment: <i>Cult Archaeology and Creationism</i> . Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs about the Past. Francis B. Harrold and Raymond A. Eve, Eds. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, 1987. xii, 163 pp., illus. $20. Based on a symposium, 1986

The Archaeology of Cult. The Sanctuary at Phylakopi. By Colin Renfrew.

<i>The Archaeology of Cult. The Sanctuary at Phylakopi</i>. By Colin Renfrew.

Phylakopi. The archaeology of cult: the sanctuary at Phylakopi. By C. Renfrew [and others]. (Annual of the British School at Athens, supplementary vol., 18.) London: British School of Archaeology at Athens (distributed by Thames and Hudson). 1985. Pp. xiii + 513, [71] plates (1 col.), [130] text figs. (9 folding, 1 in rear pocket). £35.00.

Phylakopi. The archaeology of cult: the sanctuary at Phylakopi. By C. Renfrew [and others]. (Annual of the British School at Athens, supplementary vol., 18.) London: British School of Archaeology at Athens (<i>distributed by</i> Thames and Hudson). 1985. Pp. xiii + 513, [71] plates (1 col.), [130] text figs. (9 folding, 1 in rear pocket). £35.00.

The Sanctuary at Phylakopi - Colin Renfrew: The Archaeology of Cult: The Sanctuary at Phylakopi. (The British School of Archaeology at Athens, Suppl. 18.) Pp. 505; 127 text figures, 70 plates. London: The British School of Archaeology at Athens, distributed by Thames and Hudson. £35.

The Sanctuary at Phylakopi - Colin Renfrew: The Archaeology of Cult: The Sanctuary at Phylakopi. (The British School of Archaeology at Athens, Suppl. 18.) Pp. 505; 127 text figures, 70 plates. London: The British School of Archaeology at Athens, distributed by Thames and Hudson. £35. - Volume 37 Issue 2

Colin Renfrew: The archaeology of cult. The Sanctuary at Phylakopi. With contributions by P. A. Mountjoy, Elizabeth French, John G. Younger, John F. Cherry, Alec Daykin, Jennifer Moody, Lyvia Morgan and Nick Bradford, and with the assistance of Callum Macfarlane, Robin Torrence, Clive Gamble and Todd Whitelaw. London: British School at Athens, Supplementary Vol. 18, and Thames and Hudson (distributor),

Colin Renfrew: The archaeology of cult. The Sanctuary at Phylakopi. With contributions by P. A. Mountjoy, Elizabeth French, John G. Younger, John F. Cherry, Alec Daykin, Jennifer Moody, Lyvia Morgan and Nick Bradford, and with the assistance of Callum Macfarlane, Robin Torrence, Clive Gamble and Todd Whitelaw. London: British School at Athens, Supplementary Vol. 18, and Thames and Hudson (distributor), 1985, 526 pp., 70 pls., 130 figs., 74 tables. £35.00. - Volume 60 Issue 229

Creationism, Cult Archaeology, and other Pseudoscientific Beliefs

Creationism, Cult Archaeology, and other Pseudoscientific Beliefs

The Indian Connection: An Assessment of Hromnik's 'Indo-Africa'

In this paper, we assess critically a recent publication that seeks to attribute most developments in the later prehistory of southern Africa to Indian gold-seekers. We show that the book has all the characteristics of 'cult archaeology', resurrecting the prejudices of the nineteenth century and dismissing modern African studies with contempt. 'Indo-Africa' is examined in depth in the belief that it is more profitable to attack than to ignore such publications.

On Criticisms of "Some Paleolithic Tools From Northeast North America": Rejoinder

Previous articleNext article No AccessCurrent Anthropology NewsletterOn Criticisms of "Some Paleolithic Tools From Northeast North America": RejoinderJohn R. Cole, Robert E. Funk, Laurie R. Godfrey, and William StarnaJohn R. Cole Search for more articles by this author , Robert E. Funk Search for more articles by this author , Laurie R. Godfrey Search for more articles by this author , and William Starna Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 19, Number 3Sep., 1978 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/202190 Views: 2Total views on this site Citations: 2Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1978 The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological ResearchPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:JOHN R. COLE Cult Archaeology and Unscientific Method and Theory, (Jan 1981): 1–33.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-624180-8.50006-8JOHN R. COLE Cult Archaeology and Unscientific Method and Theory, (Jan 1980): 1–33.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-003103-0.50006-X

Some Paleolithic Tools from Northeast North America

Previous articleNext article No AccessResearch ConclusionsSome Paleolithic Tools from Northeast North AmericaB. E. Raemsch and W. W. VernonB. E. Raemsch Search for more articles by this author and W. W. Vernon Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 18, Number 1Mar., 1977 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/201854 Views: 3Total views on this site Citations: 3Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1977 The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological ResearchPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:David P. Staley Shadow of Doubt or Doubtful Shadows: Small-Scale Low-Density Lithic Scatters and Agrifacts, North American Archaeologist 27, no.22 (Aug 2016): 175–199.https://doi.org/10.2190/M228-G714-1603-1KP6JOHN R. COLE Cult Archaeology and Unscientific Method and Theory, (Jan 1981): 1–33.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-624180-8.50006-8JOHN R. COLE Cult Archaeology and Unscientific Method and Theory, (Jan 1980): 1–33.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-003103-0.50006-X