Chapter 6: Religion and Ritual

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This chapter introduces a major archaeological theme. Belief systems and the evidence for them are part of most archaeology courses.

6.0 What is religion?

This section will include articles and links on the functions of religion in the past.

6.1 What kinds of religion were there?

Religions can encompass belief in spirits as well as belief in gods. This section includes some examples not covered in later sections.

The Zapotecs http://www.angelfire.com/ca/humanorigins/religion.html#zapotec
Mesoamerican links http://www.angelfire.com/ca/humanorigins/religion.html#zapotec
Ancient Mexico http://www.ancientmexico.com/

Discussion of the idea of a universal Goddess is at: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~gloria/Goddess.html

6.2 Ritual activity

A simulation of a Mithras Temple at:
http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/mithras/intro.htm

6.3 Identifying ritual sites and the rituals which took place there

Presentations of ritual sites or their excavation can be seen at:
Luxor http://academic.memphis.edu/egypt/luxortm.html
Cretan goddess http://witcombe.sbc.edu/snakegoddess/fertility.html
Minehowe (Orkney) http://www.oat.org.uk/

6.4 Ritual specialists

Ritual specialists range from shamans to priests.

Shamans http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/glues/shamans

6.5 Religion and ritual in prehistoric Europe

This is the most popular option in the current AS Level paper on religion and ritual. A wealth of sites is available, particularly helpful for research and presentations.

Key examples of Ice Age art can be seen at:
Lascaux http://www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/fr/
Chauvet http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/chauvet/en/index.html

Links for particular sites include:
http://donsmaps.com/lepenski2.html

This site is an introduction to life in Mesolithic Britain including shamanistic beliefs. It also contains a test to see if you would have survived as a hunter-gatherer:
http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/flint/menu.html

Excellent directories of sites with pictures (ideal if you are planning visits) are at:
The Megalithic Portal http://www.megalithic.co.uk/
Stone pages http://www.stonepages.com/

Examples of individual sites are:
Clava cairns http://www.megalithics.com/scotland/clavas/clavmain.htm
Ballynahatty (Northern Ireland) http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/ballynahatty.htm
Hindwell (Wales) http://www.jungsteinsite.de/2000_gibson/hindwell.htm
Flag Fen http://www.flagfen.com/
Isibister http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/isbister/
Loughcrew http://www.carrowkeel.com/sites/loughcrew/loughcrew.html
Avebury http://www.le.ac.uk/archaeology/research/projects/avebury/index.html

Landscape ritual and belief

The following present ritual sites in their landscapes:
Maes Howe (Orkney) http://www.iol.ie/~geniet/maeshowe/
Kilmartin Glen (Scotland) http://www.kilmartin.org/
http://csweb.bournemouth.ac.uk/
Northumberland rock art http://rockart.ncl.ac.uk/
Stonehenge Riverside Project http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/stonehenge
Bronze Age (including video) http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/archy/process/index.html

The Irish ritual sites mentioned in the text are at:
http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/ireland/carrowkeel.htmlthicireland.com/
http://www.megalithicireland.com/Body.htm
http://www.carrowkeel.com/files/main.html
http://www.irishmegaliths.org.uk/genius.htm
European rock art http://www.rane-online.org/
Dunragit http://www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/subjectareas/archaeology/research/dunragit/

6.6 Religious specialists and rituals in later British prehistory

Birdlip Grave Group http://www.glos-city.gov.uk/libraries/templates/page.asp?FolderID=217
Upton Lovell ‘Shaman’ http://www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk/galleries/index.php

6.7 Roman religion and ritual

This is the second most popular option in the current AS Level.

Roman religion in general is at:
http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-religion.php

A course on Roman architecture and building techniques is at:
http://classics.furman.edu/~rprior/courses/RA/RAU5.html

Romano-Celtic deities http://www.unc.edu/celtic/catalogue/triplism/#genii

Links for particular sites include:
Temple of Vesta http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/172_Temple_of_Vesta.html
A virtual tour of the Forum in Rome is at:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma
An essay on Mithraism is at:
http://eawc.evansville.edu/essays/mithraism.htm
Corinium and Roman religion including the paternoster square are at:
http://www.roman-britain.org/places/corinium.htm#rib101

Build your own Roman temple at:
http://www.hirstarts.com/temple/temple.html

6.8 Ancient Egyptian religion and ritual

There are many good general sites such as:
http://academic.memphis.edu/egypt/
http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/Welcome.html
http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/index.html
http://www.civilization.ca/civil/egypt/egypte.html#menu

Temples are covered at:
http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/art/temple.html

A glossary of temple architecture is at:
http://www.egyptologyonline.com/temple_glossary.htm

Links for particular sites include:
Medinet Habu http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/medinet%20habu/index.htm
Karnak http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/karnak/index.htm
Luxor http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/luxor/index.htm
Giza http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/Giza/index.htm

For images and basic detail there are many tour company websites available including:
http://www.egyptmyway.com/index.html