The archaeology of religion is a much neglected area, yet religious sites and artefacts constitute a major area of archaeological evidence. Timothy Insoll presents an introductory statement on the archaeology of religion, examining what archaeology can tell us about religion, the problems of defining and theorizing religion in archaeology, and the methodology, or how to 'do', the archaeology of religion. This volume assesses religion and ritual through a range of examples from around the world and across time, including prehistoric religions, shamanism, African religions, death, landscape and even food. Insoll also discusses the history of research and varying theories in this field before looking to future research directions. This book will be a valuable guide for students and archaeologists, and initiate a major area of debate.

About the Author

Timothy Insoll is Lecturer in Archaeology at the School of Art History and Archaeology at the University of Manchester. His previous publications include The Archaeology of Islam (1999), Archaeology and World Religion (2001) and THe Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africal (2003)

Reviews

'A compelling analysis of religion [and] a valuable text for the thinking archaeologist and student ... its power to enlarge the interpretive imagination makes it an essential tool.' - British Archaeology

'Archaeology, ritual, religion is to be very welcomed as an accessible and thought-provoking means of broadening horizons, rich in observations that resonate in the context of Egyptian archaeology.' - www.PalArch.nl

Book Information
ISBN 9780415253123
Author Timothy Insoll
Format Hardback
Page Count 200
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 317g