Belief In The Past: Theoretical Approaches to the Archaeology of Religion

Human actions are often deeply intertwined with religion and can be understood in a strictly religious context. Yet, many volumes and articles pertaining to discussions of religion in the archaeological past have focused primarily on the sociopolitical implications of such remains. The authors in this volume argue that while these interpretations certainly have a meaningful place in understanding the human past, they provide only part of the picture. Because strictly religious contexts have often been ignored, this has resulted in an incomplete assessment of religious behavior in the past. This volume considers exciting new directions for considering an archaeology of religion, offering examples from theory, tangible archaeological remains, and ethnography.

David S. Whitley is a former member of the Council of Directors of the ICOMOS Committee on Rock Art and head of a contract archaeology firm. He has published extensively, conducted field work in several countries, and taught at the University of Witwatersrand and UCLA.Kelley Hays-Gilpin (Ph.D. Arizona 1992) is Associate Professor and Edward Bridge Danson Chair of Anthropology at the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). She is assisting with the development of a Native American Museums Studies program for NAU and MNA. Hays-Gilpin’s current research, undertaken in collaboration with the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, explores Hopi history and culture from prehistory to present through cross-media comparison of style and iconography, visual and verbal metaphors, and gender arrangements. Her most recent book, Ambiguous Images: Gender and Rock Art, won the 2005 Society for American Archaeology Book Award.