Archaeology and World Religion is an important new work, being the first to examine these two vast topics in conjunction with each other. The volume explores the relationship between, and the contribution archaeology can make to the study of what are today termed 'World Religions', namely Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. This work is the definitive text for this growing area of archaeology. Divided into two parts, it first surveys each of the religions in question and then goes on to address the important themes of ethics, gender and death. The contributors consider a number of questions: can religious (sacred) texts be treated as historical documents, or do they merit special treatment? Does archaeology with its emphasis on material culture dispel notions of the ideal/divine within religious texts and what are the implications of this possible conflict? Does the study of archaeology and religion lead to differing interpretations of the same event?
In what ways does the notion of a uniform religious identity exist, the ideal Muslim or Christian for example, and is this recognisable in the archaeological record - through diet, dress, sacred buildings, burials, art and iconography, landscapes and personal possessions? Clearly written and up-to-date, this volume will be of especial significance to anyone interested in archaeology and religion and will be an indispensable research tool for academics and specialists in these fields.