Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic

C. Riley Augé holds an M.A. in Folklore and Mythology, and a PhD in Anthropology. Her specialized area of research is the archaeology of ritual, religion, and magic, particularly the material expressions of these beliefs. Auge’ currently serves on the governor-appointed Montana State Historic Preservation Review Board to actively engage in state-wide efforts to preserve all aspects of the historical record.

List of Figures

Acknowledgments



Introduction

    The Basics: What Everyone Should Know

Most Common Ritualistic, Religious, and Magical Tropes

Common Attributes of Ritualistic, Religious, and Magical Material Culture



Chapter One: Defining Ritual, Religion, and Magic

    Definitions

    Magical Agency



Chapter Two: Classification and Typology

    Creating classification systems

    Criteria for Identifying Ritual in Archaeological Contexts

Criteria for Identifying Magic in Archaeological Contexts

    Witch Bottle Typology

    Concealed Cat Typology

    Concealed Footwear Typology

Gender and Ascribing Usage



Chapter Three: Ritual, Religion, and Magic Functions and Devices

    Divination

    Fertility

    Healing

Love and Marriage

    Maleficium

    Mortuary

    Propitiation/Immolation

    Protection

    Success

    Treasure Hunting



Chapter Four: Ritual, Religion, and Magic by Ethnicity and Religion

    African/African American

    Ancient World

    Arctic-Subarctic/Pacific Northwest

    Asian

    Australian/South Pacific

    European/American

    Latin/Mesoamerican

Mediterranean/Classical

    Middle Eastern/Indian

    Native American

    Scandinavian

    Buddhism

    Candomblé

    Christianity

    Confucianism

    Daoism

    Hinduism

    Islam

    Jainism

    Judaism

    Mormonism

    Rastafarianism

    Santería-Regla de Ocha

    Shinto

    Sikhism

    Voudou

    Zoroastrianism

Ritual and Magical Practitioners



Chapter Five: Ritual, Religion, and Magic at Particular Site Types

    Ceremonial (feasting, food procurement, initiation, military, political)

    Conflict (battlefields, fortifications, jails/prisons, prisoner camps/detention centers)

    Monumental (burials, cultural markers, guardian statuary, memorials)

    Mortuary (burials, cemeteries, cenotaphs)

    Mundane/Secular (commercial, domestic, institutional, occupational, public)

    Sacred (pilgrimage, religious features, religious structures, sacrifice)

    Underwater (inundated sites, plane wrecks and shipwrecks)



Chapter Six: Ritualistic, Sacred, and Magical Landscapes

    Astronomical Associations and Structures

    Cosmological Modeling

    Culturally Modified Ecofacts (CMEs)

Directional Orientation

Elementals

Flora & Fauna

Geological, Geographical, and Other Natural Markers

Light/Dark

Seasonality

Soundscapes

Travel Corridors

Viewsheds

Vertical/Horizontal Associations



Chapter Seven: Ritualistic, Religious, and Magical Material Culture by Material Type and Attribute

Ceramic

Color

Fauna

Flora

Glass

Metal

Mineral/Lithic/Soil

Numbers

Symbols, Designs, and Images

Textiles and Clothing



Chapter Eight: Sensory Elements in Ritual, Religion, and Magic

Affective

Auditory

Gustatory (Taste)

Olfactory

Tactility/Haptic

Vestibular

Vision



Chapter Nine: Forms and Templates

Burial Site Survey Form

Burial Recordation Form

Conflict and Battlefield Recordation Form

Individual Figurine/Statuary/Figural Vessel Recordation Form

Intentionally Concealed Object (ICO) Recordation Form

Plant Recordation and Collection Form

Quotidian and Occupational Site Recordation Form

Religious, Ceremonial, and Formal Ritual Building Recordation Form

Ritual Landscape Recordation Form

Ritual/Magic Assemblage Recordation Form

Rock Art Recordation Form

Censors

Crosses

Figurines



Chapter Ten: Technologies, Methodologies, and Analyses

    3-D Scanning

Accessibility Analysis

Botanical Analysis

Chemical Residue and DNA Analysis

Geophysical Survey

Mapping

Measuring

Photography



Chapter Eleven: Resources

    Databases

    Researchers

    Museums & Archives



Glossaries

    Glossary of Ritualistic, Religious, and Magical Gems and Other Stones

Glossary of Ritualistic, Religious, and Magical Plants

Glossary of Ritualistic, Religious, and Magical Terms

For Further Reading

Attribute Analysis

Ethnic Studies

Artifact Material Types

    Sensory and Landscape Studies

Mortuary Studies

Ritual and Magic Theory

General Sources



Index