Reconstructing Greek Sacred Landscapes (Hardcover)

Samuel Verdan

ISBN 10: 1805832913 / ISBN 13: 9781805832911

Published by Archaeopress, Oxford, 2026

Hardcover. What is meant by sacred landscape? How can ancient sacred landscapes, greatly eroded by time, be reconstructed? In the landscape, how did the religious dimension relate to the economic, social and political dimensions? In this book, scholars with many years experience of archaeological approaches to Greek religion offer answers to these questions, by presenting a variety of case studies.The examples selected relate to various regions of the Greek world (Attica, Arcadia, Boeotia, Euboea, Asia Minor) and the periods covered range from the Late Bronze Age to the Byzantine era. Several chapters are based on survey data, which are examined in relation to written sources. Topics covered include the development of sacred landscapes over the long term and the integration of major sanctuaries into their wider environment (Olympia, Kalapodi, Artemision at Amarynthos).The contributions reveal different understandings of a sacred landscape. As a modern concept, the latter is examined in a methodological introductory chapter. Two recent ethnographic examples, one from Morocco and the other from India, provide further food for thought. The book is intended as an incentive to exploit the heuristic potential of the concept of sacred landscape, while defining its boundaries. Scholars with experience in Greek religious studies present different ideas on various questions about sacred landscapes in context and their reconstruction. With examples covering various regions of the Greek world and various time periods this book covers topics such as the development of these landscapes, their integration and their definition. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781805832911

Synopsis:

What is meant by “sacred landscape”? How can ancient sacred landscapes, greatly eroded by time, be reconstructed? In the landscape, how did the religious dimension relate to the economic, social and political dimensions? In this book, scholars with many years’ experience of archaeological approaches to Greek religion offer answers to these questions, by presenting a variety of case studies.

The examples selected relate to various regions of the Greek world (Attica, Arcadia, Boeotia, Euboea, Asia Minor) and the periods covered range from the Late Bronze Age to the Byzantine era. Several chapters are based on survey data, which are examined in relation to written sources. Topics covered include the development of sacred landscapes over the long term and the integration of major sanctuaries into their wider environment (Olympia, Kalapodi, Artemision at Amarynthos).

The contributions reveal different understandings of a sacred landscape. As a modern concept, the latter is examined in a methodological introductory chapter. Two recent ethnographic examples, one from Morocco and the other from India, provide further food for thought. The book is intended as an incentive to exploit the heuristic potential of the concept of sacred landscape, while defining its boundaries.

About the Authors:

Dr Samuel Verdan is senior researcher at the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece. He has directed excavations in Eretria (Euboea) and taught at the University of Lausanne. He studies Early Iron Age pottery and is collaborating in the exploration and study of the Artemision at Amarynthos. He has published the Geometric phases of the sanctuary of Apollo at Eretria and a study on Eretrian Geometric pottery. He has edited a volume on pottery quantification and a book devoted to a Gulag camp.

Sylvian Fachard is Full Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Lausanne and Director of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece. Formerly A.W. Mellon Professor at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, he has held research positions at Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies and Brown University. His work focuses on Greek fortifications and the territorial organization of poleis, promoting a landscape approach for the study of rural fortifications. He directed surveys and excavations in Eretria and Amarynthos. He's the co-editor of the Athens and Attica in Prehistory volume with Archaeopress, the co-editor of The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World, CUP, 2021, with E. Harris.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Reconstructing Greek Sacred Landscapes (...
Publisher: Archaeopress, Oxford
Publication Date: 2026
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: new