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Ritual in Prehistory; Definition and Identification. Religious Insights In Ritual in Prehistory; Definition and Identification. Religious Insights in Early Prehistoric Cyprus. Volume I Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Archaeology School of History, Classics, and Archaeology University of Edinburgh Vasiliki G. Koutrafouri 2008 Supervisors: Prof. Edgar J. Peltenburg Dr. Ulf-Diedrich Schoop DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is the result of my own work and has not, whether in the same or a different form, been presented to this or any other university in support of an application for any other degree than that for which I am now a candidate. Date……………………………… Signature………………………… Table of Contents Volume I Declaration ................................................................................................................................. Table of Contents......................................................................................................................i List of Figures ............................................................................................................................viii List of Tables..............................................................................................................................xii List of Appendices....................................................................................................................xvi List of Abbreviations ...............................................................................................................xvii Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................xviii Abstract........................................................................................................................................1 Introduction to the thesis........................................................................................................3 Chapter 1. Ritual. Definition and identification in prehistory. 1.1.Introduction .........................................................................................................................12 1.2 Linguistic complications...................................................................................................14 1.3 Philosophical problems and solutions (?)....................................................................25 1.3.1 Archaeology’s problem with rationality. ...........................................................................25 1.3.2 Modern western thought and the Philosophy of Religion. ...............................................26 1.3.3 The Philosophy of Religion within Archaeological constraints. ......................................30 1.3.4 Marx, Durkheim and Levi-Strauss; the impact and the potential of their thought within archaeology........................................................................................................................32 i 1.3.5 Logic, modern western rationality and Philosophy of Religion within an Archaeology of Ritual.........................................................................................................................................39 1.4 The anthropological help .................................................................................................43 1.4.1 The sacred and liminality. ..................................................................................................46 1.4.2 The sacred, culture and context, and the way they communicate. ..................................49 1.4.3 Ritualization........................................................................................................................55 1.4.4 Diachronic Ritualization and De-Ritualization................................................................57 1.4.5 Anthropology of Religion-Archaeology of Ritual; a fruitful relationship. ......................60 1.5 The archaeological paradox .............................................................................................61 1.5.1 The first systematic attempt for the resolution of the definitional problem of ritual within archaeology........................................................................................................................64 1.5.2. Symbolic, irrational, or processual?..................................................................................66 1.5.3. Secular Ritual; is this a concern of prehistoric archaeology?..........................................68 1.5.4 The importance of the first attempt....................................................................................73 1.5.5 Towards the Archaeology of Ritual....................................................................................74 1.5.6. Whose holism anyway?......................................................................................................76 1.5.7 Framing vs intrinsic elements............................................................................................81 1.5.8 Deconstructing, constructing and advancing...................................................................89 1.6 Figuring it out......................................................................................................................90 1.6.1 The problem. ........................................................................................................................90 1.6.2 The resolution......................................................................................................................94 1.7 Death......................................................................................................................................116 1.7.1 Breaking through the continuum in theory.......................................................................117 1.7.2 Breaking through the continuum in practice. ...................................................................123 1.8 Conclusions.........................................................................................................................126 ii Chapter 2. In Quest for Ritual. Literature review of excavation reports on early prehistoric Cyprus. 2.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................130 2.2 Review of general publications on Cypriot early prehistory .................................132 2.3 Review of specialized publications on Cypriot early prehistory..........................133 2.4 Review of excavation reports on Cypriot early prehistoric sites ...........................136 2.4.1 Excavation Reports on Cypriot Pre - Pottery Neolithic B sites. ......................................138 • Kissonerga-Mylouthkia ...............................................................................................138 • Parekklisha-Shillourokambos ....................................................................................146 2.4.2 Excavation Reports on Cypriot Aceramic Neolithic sites. ...............................................152 • Kalavasos-Tenta ...........................................................................................................152 • Khirokitia-Vouni ..........................................................................................................155 a) Publication by Porphyrios Dikaios (1953)...................................................155 b) Publication by Stanley Price and Dimos Christou (1973). .......................156 c) Publication by Alain Le Brun (1984).............................................................157 d) Publication by Alain Le Brun (1989). ...........................................................160 e) Publication by Alain Le Brun (1994).............................................................164 • Cape Andreas-Kastros ................................................................................................165 2.5 Review overview ..............................................................................................................166 Chapter 3. And there was Death. Initiation of Tradition Ritual practices in Cypriot Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Kissonerga-Mylouthkia and Parekklisha-Shillourokambos iii 3.1 Introduction. ........................................................................................................................169 3.2 Kissonerga-Mylouthkia: Discussion of the material and the taphonomy..........172 3.3 Parekklisha-Shillourokambos: Fosse 23: Discussion of the material and the taphonomy..........................................................................................................................178 3.4 Identification of common cultural elements at Kissonerga-Mylouthkia and Parekklisha-Shillourokambos. .......................................................................................182 3.4.1 Contemporary wells? ..........................................................................................................182 3.4.2 No cattle...............................................................................................................................182 3.4.3 Chipped stone. .....................................................................................................................184 3.4.4 Ground stone and vessel fragments. ..................................................................................185 3.4.5 Maceheads............................................................................................................................187
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