Moving down the mountain

Pathways for sacred landscape transformation at ancient Epidaurus and Nemea

Bibliographic Data

ID12911443
AuthorsNatalie M Susmann (0000-0002-1204-2174, College of the Holy Cross, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume14
Issue1
Pages73-109
Publication date2021-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueTime and Mind (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-696X • E-ISSN: 1751-6978
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1751696x.2021.1891367
OpenAlexW3141061404
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited39

This paper explores reciprocal relationships between landscape, human attention, and time. I present two sacred landscapes: Epidaurus and Nemea, located in Greece's northeastern Peloponnese. In both landscapes, worshipers created sanctuaries on prominent mountains. Eventually, their attention shifted downhill where they built larger, monumental sanctuaries on the flat ground. I trace each mountain’s role as a sacred landmark; I question what other social functions they had – if at all – after the new sanctuaries were built. I consider a wide range of evidence. I begin with a comparative example from Mount Fuji in Japan, and move on to archaeological excavation and survey data, ancient testimonials, and modern tourist reviews about the Greek sanctuaries. I also use Geographic Information Systems to quantify each Greek sanctuary’s visual impact in comparison to the surrounding topography. Woven together, these data reveal generations of sacral continuity. The Sanctuary of Asklepios and the Sanctuary of Zeus encircled new sacred temenoi, but worshipers’ collective memory guided their pathways and vision; through human senses, these mountains retained their role as sacred landmarks

Archaeology · Excavation · Geography · Mount · Range (aeronautics · Tourism · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geographies of human-animal interactions · History

Tools

Open DOI