Descriptions, Reviews, etc.
Description:
Archaeological case studies consider material evidence of religion and ritual in the pre-Columbian Eastern Woodlands
Review Quotes: "The study of ritual and religion in archaeology is at a major turning point following the 'ontological turn' and materiality/New Materialisms. What used to be considered a realm of paleo-psychological epiphenomena that was archaeologically unknowable is now commonly viewed as structuring the archaeological record in significant ways. This book is the first to assemble an array of archaeological studies in the American Southeast that gives primacy to 'religion' as ongoing material practice."
--Neill J. Wallis, coeditor of New Histories of Pre-Columbian Florida
"Though difficult to define, religion is a significant category of archaeological study that generally includes beliefs (inferred from symbolism found in design and decoration) and rituals (activities often evidenced by material culture). The editors' goal is to demonstrate the strengths and challenges of various theoretical and methodological approaches so readers can assess their interpretive usefulness for culturally specific, cross-cultural, and cultural developmental research centering on how peoples lived, experienced, and practiced religion (broadly defined). Some contributors present new information on recently excavated sites, while others reinterpret well-known sites like Cahokia using new paradigmatic perspectives. Recommended."
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