Investigating the instability of religious material culture in Greek prehistory: The case of "bench shrines"

Haysom, M

doi:10.30549/actaath-4-59-10

Investigating the instability of religious material culture in Greek prehistory: The case of "bench shrines"

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Matthew Haysom ORCiD

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Abstract

The radical shift in the conceptual status of objects that has been brought about by the "material turn" in the humanities opens the door for a recasting of old questions. Archaeology now plays host to a wide variety of interrelated theoretical perspectives, from phenomenology to actor network theory, that emphasise the degree to which objects can form people so that objects and people are co-constituted and interdependent. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the study of religion where the subject matter has naturally led scholars to give priority to beliefs and interactions between people. In this paper I will focus on one prominent episode of religious materiality in Greek prehistory: that of the so-called “bench shrine”. My aim is twofold. First, to clarify the history of this type of space, which has sometimes been considered the archetypal built religious space of Greek prehistory, but which has a complex historiography. Second, and concurrently, to think about how approaches aligned with “materiality” can help us understand this history.