Archaeologies of Cult: Essays on Ritual and Cult in Crete In Honor of Geraldine C. Gesell

This collection of essays on research done on ritual and cult in Crete at Bronze and Iron Age sites is in honor of archaeologist Geraldine C. Gesell. D'Agata and Van de Moortel inform the reader that the work reflects Gesell's belief in synthesizing various aspects of archeology to form an image of what was done and how it changed, rather than fantasizing, as earlier scholars did, about the nature of belief systems. Therefore, the articles concentrate on the identification of religious or ritual artifacts, the sites of cultic activity and, a relatively new field, the study of the landscape in which the cult was practiced. The authors point out similarities and differences and posit changes in religions behavior over time and between social groups. The book is well illustrated with diagrams, tables and photographs. Oversize 8.5 x 11" Books from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens are distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)