The archaeology of religion : cultures and their beliefs in worldwide context / Sharon R. Steadman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Steadman, Sharon R., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Archaeology and religion.

Religions.

Religion, Prehistoric.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (353 p.)

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Steadman fills an empty niche in the offerings on how archaeology interprets past religions with this useful textbook. The book includes case studies from around the world, from the study of Upper Paleolithic religions and of shamans in foraging societies to formal religious structures in advanced complex societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and the Andes. Steadman also includes key contemporary religions--Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, among others--to provide an historical and comparative context. This is an ideal text for a archaeology of religion courses and classes that include a significant component on "past religions," as well as an excellent guide for general readers.

Contents:

Cover; Half Title; Dedication; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Illustrations; Acknowledgments; Part I: Method, Theory, and the Study of Religion; Chapter 1: Introducing the Archaeology of Religion; Why Archaeology and Why Religion?; Ethics, Archaeology, and Religion; Cultures and their Beliefs in Worldwide Context; Chapter 2: Anthropology and the Study of Religion; Defining Religion; Early Anthropology and the Origins of Religion; New Views in the Twentieth Century; Contemporary Anthropological Theories; Chapter 3: Interpreting Religion in the Archaeological Past

Cosmology, Myth, and RitualSupernatural Beings and Religious Specialists; Method and Theory in the Archaeology of Religion; Interpreting Beliefs in Worldwide Context; Conclusion; Part II: The Emergence of Religion in Human Culture; Chapter 4: The World of the Shaman; The Nature of the Shaman; The Shaman's Tools; Finding Shamans in the Archaeological Record; Chapter 5: The First Spark of Religion: The Neanderthals; Human Evolution: Homo Erectus, Neanderthals, and Modern Humans; Who Were the Neanderthals?; Neanderthal Sites in Europe and Western Asia: Rituals in Caves?

Conclusion: Did the Neanderthals Really Have Religion?Chapter 6: Rock Art and Ritual in Africa and Australia; Cultures of the Kalahari; Southern African Rock Art; Religion and Rock Art in Australia; Stone Monuments, Rock Art, and Dreamtime; Engraved Rock Art; Painted Rock Art of North and Northwestern Australia; Conclusion; Part III: Religions in the Americas; Chapter 7: The Mound-Building Cultures of North America; Foraging, Agriculture, and Trade; The Hopewell Culture; The Mississippian Culture; Conclusion; Chapter 8: Puebloan Cultures of the American Southwest

The Hisatsinom (Anasazi)-Early SettlementChaco Canyon and Pueblo Bonito; Chapter 9: Mesoamerica and the Religions of Empire; Prelude to the Aztecs; The Aztecs; Conclusion; Chapter 10: Lords and Maidens: Religions of South America; An Early Andean Center: Chavín De Huántar; Precursor to the Inka: The Moche and the Nasca; A Patchwork of Andean Kingdoms; The Inka Empire; Conclusion; Part IV: Religions in Europe; Chapter 11: Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic Europe: From Cave to Village; Upper Paleolithic Cave Art; Female Figurines in the Upper Paleolithic; Neolithic Europe; Conclusion

Chapter 12: Megaliths and Power in Ancient Western EuropePre-Megalithic Northwestern Europe; The Culture of Megaliths; The Long Barrow Builders; Why Build Megalithic Monuments?; Conclusion; Part V: Religions in South and Southeast Asia; Chapter 13: From Harappans to Hinduism and Beyond: Religions in South Asia; South Asia Today; The Harappan Civilization; The End of Harappan Civilization and the Arrival of the Indo-Aryans; Harappans, Indo-Aryans, and the Rise of Hinduism; Classical-Period Hinduism and the Origins of Buddhism

Chapter 14: From Hunter-Gatherer to Empire: Religions in Southeast Asia

Notes:

First published 2009 by Left Coast Press, Incorporated.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-315-43389-3

1-315-43388-5

1-315-43387-7

9781315433899

OCLC:

956466526