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The Archaeology of Religion

Cultures and Their Beliefs in Worldwide Context
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Archaeology of Religion by Sharon R. Steadman offers an insightful exploration into how archaeology interprets past religions. It investigates the religious, ritual, and symbolic meanings behind archaeological discoveries worldwide, covering periods from the Upper Palaeolithic to complex societies in the Americas, Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. The book also examines the origins and development of major contemporary religions including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, highlighting themes such as the interplay between culture and religion, religion as a tool for social control, and its role in cultural revitalisation. This updated edition includes new discoveries, additional chapters on Hunter-Gatherer Religions and East Asian cultures, making it a comprehensive introduction to the archaeology of religion.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$9199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for students and enthusiasts of archaeology, history, anthropology, and religious studies seeking a thorough introduction to how archaeology uncovers the spiritual and cultural dimensions of past societies.

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The new and updated edition of Archaeology of Religion explores how archaeology interprets past religions, offering insights into how archaeologists seek out the religious, ritual, and symbolic meaning behind what they discover in their research.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The new and updated edition of The Archaeology of Religion explores how archaeology interprets past religions, offering insights into how archaeologists seek out the religious, ritual, and symbolic meaning behind what they discover in their research.

The book includes case studies from around the world, from the study of Upper Palaeolithic and hunter-gatherer religions to religious structures and practices in complex societies of the Americas, Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. Steadman also includes chapters on the origins and development of key contemporary religionsโ€”Judaism, Christianity, Islam, among othersโ€”to provide a historical and comparative context.

Three main themes are threaded throughout the book. These main themes involve the intersection between cultural and religious structures (โ€œreligion reflects cultureโ€), including the importance of environment in shaping a cultureโ€™s religion, the role religion can sometimes play as a method of social control, and the role religion can sometimes play as a key component in revitalizing a culture.

Updated with new discoveries and theories and with two new chapters (Hunter-Gatherer Religions; and Cultures in East Asia) and with new sections on Neolithic Western Asia, the book remains an ideal introduction for courses that include a significant component on past cultures and their religions.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781032106397

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 December 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Routledge

Edition: 2nd edition

Illustration: 186 Halftones, black and white; 186 Illustrations, black and white

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 850g

Pages: 436

About the Author

Sharon R. Steadman is SUNY Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Cortland. She is Director of the Rozanne Brooks Ethnographic Museum and Director of the archaeological excavations at ร‡adฤฑr Hรถyรผk in central Tรผrkiye. Her fieldwork has focused on Near Eastern archaeological work across the Middle East, Cyprus, and the Transcaucasian region. She has also carried out ethnographic work in Tรผrkiye and India. Her research focuses on the archaeology of architecture, the investigation of ancient religions, and cultural responses to climate change.

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