Archaeology of Religion Cultures and their Beliefs in Worldwide Context

Steadman fills an empty niche in the offerings on how archaeology interprets past religions with this useful textbook. The book includes case studies from around the world, from the study of Upper Paleolithic religions and of shamans in foraging societies to formal religious structures in advanced complex societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and the Andes. Steadman also includes key contemporary religions?Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, among others?to provide an historical and comparative context. This is an ideal text for a archaeology of religion courses and classes that include a significant component on ?past religions,? as well as an excellent guide for general readers.

I: Method, Theory, and the Study of Religion; 1: Introducing the Archaeology of Religion; 2: Anthropology and the Study of Religion; 3: Interpreting Religion in the Archaeological Past; II: The Emergence of Religion in Human Culture; 4: The World of the Shaman; 5: The First Spark of Religion; 6: Rock Art and Ritual in Africa and Australia; III: Religions in the Americas; 7: The Mound-Building Cultures of North America; 8: Puebloan Cultures of the American Southwest; 9: Mesoamerica and the Religions of Empire; 10: Lords and Maidens: Religions of South America; IV: Religions in Europe; 11: Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic Europe; 12: Megaliths and Power in Ancient Western Europe; V: Religions in South and Southeast Asia; 13: From Harappans to Hinduism and Beyond; 14: From Hunter-Gatherer to Empire; VI: Religions in Africa and the Middle East; 15: Religion and Empire in Egypt and Great Zimbabwe; 16: Ancient Sumer and Religions in Ancient Mesopotamia; 17: Levantine Religions and the Origins of Judaism; 18: Revitalizing the People

Sharon R. Steadman