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Ritual Failure - Archaeological Perspectives (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R2,380
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Ritual Failure - Archaeological Perspectives (Hardcover)
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'Ritual Failure' is a new concept in archaeology adopted from the
discipline of anthropology. Resilient religious systems
disappearing, strict believers and faithful practitioners not
performing their rites, entire societies changing their customs:
how does a religious ritual system transform, change or disappear,
leaving only traces of its past glory? Do societies change and then
their ritual? Or do customs change first, in turn provoking wider
cultural shifts in society? Archaeology possesses the tools and
methodologies to explore these questions over the long term; from
the emergence of a system, to its peak, and then its decay and
disappearance, and in relation to wider social and chronological
developments. The collected papers in this book introduce the
concept of 'ritual failure' to archaeology. The analysis explores
ways in which ritual may have been instrumental in sustaining
cultural continuity during demanding social conditions, or how its
functionality might have failed - resulting in discontinuity,
change or collapse. The collected papers draw attention to those
turbulent social times of change for which ritual practices are a
sensitive indicator within the archaeological record. The book
reviews archaeological evidence and theoretical approaches, and
suggests models which could explain socio-cultural change through
ritual failure. The concept of 'ritual failure' is also often used
to better understand other themes, such as identity and wider
social, economic and political transformations, shedding light on
the social conditions that forced or introduced change. This book
will engage those interested in ritual theory and practices, but
will also appeal to those interested in exploring new avenues to
understanding cultural change. From transformations in the use of
ritual objects to the risks inherent in practicing ritual, from
ritual continuity in customs to sudden and profound change, from
the Neolithic Near East to Roman Europe and Iron Age Africa, this
book explores what happens when ritual fails. With a foreword by
Timothy Insoll and a discussion by Richard Bradley.
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