the archaeology of ritual
DESCRIPTION
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
The Archaeology of RitualElizabeth 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 Activity – Material remains of our rituals
Ritual
What is ritual?
Ritual
Ritual is a practice that follows a set of prescribed rules and has certain materials associated with it
These practices are often repeated
Why are rituals important?
Rituals are an important part of the social fabric of communities
create social connections maintain equilibrium and social
order
Types of Evidence
Mortuary practices Landscapes Structures Iconography and ethnographic texts Artifacts and ecofacts
Mississippian Tradition AD 750-1500
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
Mortuary Practices
Burial configuration Primary or secondary burial Sex and age profiles Studies of nutrition and disease
Landscapes - Cahokia
Landscapes - Cahokia
AD 850 – 1100 Area of 6 square miles Massive palisade around town: 15,000 logs Up to 120 mounds
Landscapes - Cahokia
Landscapes - Cahokia
Landscapes - Moundville
AD 1000 – 1500
Black Warrior River, AL
3000 people, 300 acres, 24 mounds
Map by Karen Carr
Structures
Cahokia’s Woodhenge
Cahokia’s Woodhenge
Iconography – Southeastern Ceremonial Complex
Images courtesy of Frank McClung
Museum
Eagle Dancers Weeping Eye Mask
Falcon Man
Iconography – Southeastern Ceremonial Complex
Artifacts – Chunkey Stones
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
Ecofacts - Faunal Material
Faunal assemblages – collections of mammal, bird, and fish bones
For Cahokia fish were important, deer were secondary source of food
Ecofacts - Botanical Remains
Nuts: Hazelnut, chestnut, walnut
Seeds – goosefoot, maygrass, and knotweed
Maize (corn)
Activity
What are the material remains of our rituals?
Types of Evidence
Mortuary practices Landscapes Structures Iconography and Ethnographic texts Artifacts and Ecofacts