Archaeology Of Religion – Possibilities And Prospects
Archaeology Of Religion – Possibilities And Prospects

Summary/Abstract: The following article consists of three parts. The first part provides a short overview of the study of the history of Estonian prehistoric religion since the 18th–19th centuries Baltic-German scholars until the most recent studies by Estonian archaeologists. The overview aims to characterise the current situation of research and explicate the contemporary understanding of prehistoric religion. The second part of the article discusses the sources and defines some important key terms which have been used in the following, drawing a distinction between folk religion, pre-Christian religion and prehistoric religion, and rituality and significance of stone graves. Phenomenology, the most commonly applied method in Estonia, has been discussed at some length. The third part emphasises six main approaches, which the author of the article considers of importance in the study of prehistoric religion – namely, religion is dynamic and undergoes constant changes; each new religious phenomenon is incorporated into previously existing context; the study of prehistoric religion is only effective in interdisciplinary approach; understanding the importance and role of rituality; the importance of explicating key terminology; and studying religion against a general framework.

• Details
• Contents