the archaeology of ritual
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The Archaeology of Ritual. Elizabeth Bollwerk, Museum of Culture and Environment, CWU. What We Will Cover…. What is ritual? Why is it important? How do archaeologists find it? Example: Archaeological evidence of Mississippian communities’ ritual activity - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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The Archaeology of RitualElizabeth Bollwerk, Museum of Culture and Environment, CWU
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What We Will Cover…
What is ritual? Why is it important? How do archaeologists find it? Example: Archaeological evidence of Mississippian
communities’ ritual activity Activity – Material remains of our rituals
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Ritual
What is ritual?
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Ritual
Ritual is a practice that follows a set of prescribed rules and has certain materials associated with it
These practices are often repeated
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Why are rituals important?
Rituals are an important part of the social fabric of communities
create social connections maintain equilibrium and social
order
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Types of Evidence
Mortuary practices Landscapes Structures Iconography and ethnographic texts Artifacts and ecofacts
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Mississippian Tradition AD 750-1500
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Mississippian Tradition AD 750-1500
Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi River Valleys
Large platform mounds Town plazas Stratified social organization Major sites: Cahokia, Moundville, Spiro,
Etowah
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Mortuary Practices
Burial configuration Primary or secondary burial Sex and age profiles Studies of nutrition and disease
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Landscapes - Cahokia
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Landscapes - Cahokia
AD 850 – 1100 Area of 6 square miles Massive palisade around town: 15,000 logs Up to 120 mounds
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Landscapes - Cahokia
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Landscapes - Cahokia
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Landscapes - Moundville
AD 1000 – 1500
Black Warrior River, AL
3000 people, 300 acres, 24 mounds
Map by Karen Carr
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Structures
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Cahokia’s Woodhenge
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Cahokia’s Woodhenge
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Iconography – Southeastern Ceremonial Complex
Images courtesy of Frank McClung
Museum
Eagle Dancers Weeping Eye Mask
Falcon Man
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Iconography – Southeastern Ceremonial Complex
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Artifacts – Chunkey Stones
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Chunkey Game
Originated around 600 AD in Cahokia
Involved spiritual preparation, including ritual scratching of skin
Played in huge arenas as large of 50 acres
Associated with bird/falcon man
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Ecofacts - Faunal Material
Faunal assemblages – collections of mammal, bird, and fish bones
For Cahokia fish were important, deer were secondary source of food
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Ecofacts - Botanical Remains
Nuts: Hazelnut, chestnut, walnut
Seeds – goosefoot, maygrass, and knotweed
Maize (corn)
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Activity
What are the material remains of our rituals?
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Types of Evidence
Mortuary practices Landscapes Structures Iconography and Ethnographic texts Artifacts and Ecofacts