An Archaeological Perspective on Rituals and their Effects

The depositions of artefacts and other materials in or on the ground in ancient sanctuaries are traces of rituals that were accomplished there. In the excavations of the extra-urban sanctuary of Akragas in Sicily (S. Anna, Agrigento), among the numerous fragments of terracotta objects, the broken ones – even more than whole artefacts – make it possible to reconstruct the sequence of acts (“gestes”) that led to their deposition. A study of the context and condition of fragments (vessels, statuettes, roof tiles) reveals the importance of “correct” handling during the breaking of these objects, in a way that differed from ancient everyday practices. We argue that these depositions constitute evidence of the expectation that ancient rituals would be effective

Context (archaeology) · Excavation · Fragmentation (computing) · Perspective (graphical) · Taphonomy · Terracotta · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Jungian Analytical Psychology · Medieval Architecture and Archaeology