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Archaeology of Spiritualities 2012 Edition
Contributor(s): Rountree, Kathryn (Editor), Morris, Christine (Editor), Peatfield, Alan A. D. (Editor)
ISBN: 1461433533     ISBN-13: 9781461433538
Publisher: Springer
OUR PRICE:   $52.24  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: May 2012
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Archaeology
- Religion
- Social Science | Anthropology - General
Dewey: 201.693
LCCN: 2012936650
Series: One World Archaeology
Physical Information: 0.69" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.30 lbs) 277 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

Archaeology of Spiritualties provides a fresh exploration of the interface between archaeology and religion/spirituality. Archaeological approaches to the study of religion have typically and often unconsciously, drawn on western paradigms, especially Judaeo-Christian (mono) theistic frameworks and academic rationalisations. Archaeologists have rarely reflected on how these approaches have framed and constrained their choices of methodologies, research questions, hypotheses, definitions, interpretations and analyses and have neglected an important dimension of religion: the human experience of the numinous - the power, presence or experience of the supernatural.

Within the religions of many of the world's peoples, sacred experiences - particularly in relation to sacred landscapes and beings connected with those landscapes - are often given greater emphasis, while doctrine and beliefs are relatively less important. Archaeology of Spiritualities asks how such experiences might be discerned in the archaeological record; how do we recognize and investigate 'other' forms of religious or spiritual experience in the remains of the past?.

The volume opens up a space to explore critically and reflexively the encounter between archaeology and diverse cultural expressions of spirituality. It showcases experiential and experimental methodologies in this area of the discipline, an unconventional approach within the archaeology of religion. Thus Archaeology of Spiritualities offers a unique, timely and innovative contribution, one that is also challenging and stimulating. It is a great resource to archaeologists, historians, religious scholars and others interested in cultural and religious heritage.