KLA_104 Archaeological evidence for ancient cult and religion

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2022
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jan Šeiner (lecturer)
Mgr. Ing. Monika Zobková Koróniová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Věra Klontza, Ph.D.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Šibíčková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 18:00–19:40 M11
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main objectives of the course are to inform the student about archaeological evidence of ancient religiousness, cultic or religiously motivated activities. Some of the lectures are dealing with theoretical and methodological problems concerning the study of archaic religious traditions, and introduction of various approaches to their study in classical archaeology, archaeology and religious studies. In terms of time and culture, the interpretation primarily focuses on the period of Roman hegemony in the Mediterranean region and the corresponding proto-historical period in Central and Northern Europe. For these reasons the course is divided into two main areas: the Roman Empire and the Barbaricum. These two main areas will be followed by selected categories related to the observed issues, both in public (temples, shrines, sacrificial deposit sites) and in private religious spheres (lararia, ancestor worship, amulets). The partial aim of the course is to familiarize students with the potential and limits of archaeological sources, including a critical and multidisciplinary approach to their study.
Learning outcomes
After completion of the course, student will be able to:
- orientate oneself in the main thematic areas and their theoretical and methodological frame
- define the basic characteristics of archaeological evidence for cult and religious activities in ancient Roman and barbarian communities – both in public and in private religious spheres
- understand the problem of the Imperial cult, imperial imagery and its political and religious propaganda in art and architecture, as well as to clarify the basic terminology of the Imperial cult (apotheosis, consecratio, divifilius,…) and the topic of private cult in ancient Rome (pater familias) and its archaeological evidence such as lararia, ancestral portraits and their placement within Roman houses.
- make a comparison with the situation of the barbarians in present-day Central and Northern Europe and characterize the local archaeological evidence for cult and religious activities
Syllabus
  • 1. Theoretical and methodological frame of religious traditions in archaic societies from an archaeological point of view (possibilities, limits and perspectives)
  • 2.-3. Mythology and cosmology of selected cultural spheres
  • 4.-5. Deities and superhuman beings, evidence of their worship in Roman and barbaric communities - the most important temples, shrines, altars, and sacrificial sites
  • 6.-7. Archaeological evidence of cult and religious activities and their displays in the public sphere - specifics of the Roman imperial cult + basic overview of the artistic and architectural monuments of the imperial cult
  • 8.-10. Archaeological evidence of cult and religious activities and their displays in the private sphere of Roman and barbarian communities
  • 11. Archaeological evidence of Roman funerary practices and rituals and related beliefs
  • 12. Archaeological evidence of funerary practices and rituals in barbarian communities
Literature
    required literature
  • BEARD, Mary, John NORTH and Simon PRICE. Religions of Rome. Vol. 1, A history. 1st publ. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998, xxiv, 454. ISBN 0-521-30401-6. info
  • BEARD, Mary, John NORTH and Simon PRICE. Religions of Rome. Vol. 2, A sourcebook. 1st publ. Cambridbe: Cambridge University Press, 1998, xiv, 416 s. ISBN 0-521-45015-2. info
  • ELIADE, Mircea. Dějiny náboženského myšlení II. Od Gautamy Buddhy k triumfu křesťanství. Praha: Oikúmené, 2014.
  • ELSCHEK, Kristian – RAJTÁR, Ján – VARSIK, Vladimír. Sepulkrálny objekt zo Zohora. In: Droberjar, E. (ed.): Archeologie barbarů 2010: hroby a pohřebiště Germánů mezi Labem a Dunajem. Studia Archaeologica Suebica I. Olomouc, 133-151.
  • GRADEL, Ittai. Emperor Worship and Roman Religion. New York - Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. info
  • TRIGGER, Bruce G. A history of archaeological thought. 2nd pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009, xx, 710. ISBN 9780521600491. info
    recommended literature
  • BORBONUS, D. 2014: Columbarium tombs and colective identity in Augustan Rome. New York: Cambridge university Press.
  • DAVIES, P. J. E. 2004: Death and the emperor. Roman imperial funerary monuments from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius. Cambridge - New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • FRIESEN, S.J. Twice Neokoros: Ephesus, Asia and the Cult of the Flavian Imperial Family. Leiden: E.J.Brill, 1993.
  • KREITZER, L. Apotheosis of the Roman Emperor. The Biblical Archaeologists, Vol. 53, No. 4, 210 – 217.
  • ZANKER, P. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 1990.
    not specified
  • FISHWICK, Duncan. The Imperial Cult in the Latin West: Studies in the Ruler Cult of the Western Provinces of the Roman Empire. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1991. Vol 2, 2. info
  • TOYNBEE, J. M. C. Death and Burial in the Roman World (Aspects of Greek and Roman Life). Baltimore: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1971. ISBN 0-500-40015-6. info
Teaching methods
lectures supported by pictorial (PPT) presentation, class discussion about the addressed topics
Assessment methods
active attendance, oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 0.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2022, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2022/KLA_104