The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic [Paperback]

Ralph Merrifield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1988

Like all human activities, ritual customs, intended to gain advantage or avert disaster by supernatural means, have left their mark on the archaeological record. Yet archaeologists are often reluctant to recognize evidence of behavior that has no obvious material purpose. Even where they realize that something unusual has occurred, they will put forward every other possible explanation in terms of accident or functional utility, however improbable. For the first time, Ralph Merrifield systematically looks at the evidence for European ritual from prehistoric times to the present day. In examining different kinds of ritual, superstition and magic—whether animal sacrifice, offerings to earth and water, spells and charms, or antidotes to witchcraft—he shows how common patterns of activity have continued with little alteration over the centuries. Through fundamental changes of religious belief—from primitive animism to developed paganism, from paganism to Christianity, from traditional Catholicism to Protestantism, and even from religious faith to scientific rationalism—the same kinds of simple ritual have survived to give comfort and a sense of security. Profusely illustrated, this provocative and readable study will not only be required reading for archaeologists at all levels, but will also appeal to all those interested in folklore and the oddities of human behavior.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A valuable contribution. (Choice )

About the Author

Ralph Merrifield spent most of his working life as a museum archaeologist, first in Brighton, England and then in London. In retirement, he became deputy director of the Museum of London. As a widely recognized authority on Roman London, his London, City of the Romans, was hailed as an outstanding work.

Ralph Merrifield spent most of his working life as a museum archaeologist, first in Brighton, England and then in London. In retirement, he became deputy director of the Museum of London. As a widely recognized authority on Roman London, his London, City of the Romans, was hailed as an outstanding work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: New Amsterdam Books (June 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941533263
• ISBN-13: 978-0941533263
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,248,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ritual Archaeology, August 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic (Paperback)

As an archaeologist who does research on ritual archaeology in the Americas I found this book to be a useful and informative source of comparative data. The author provides examples (and illustrations) of many types of ritual behaviors and their material correlates. The focus is primarily the Old World, and Roman and Medieval periods, but anyone interested in ritual archaeology or the material construction of religion would do well to check it out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, October 4, 2008

By 

Minsma (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic (Paperback)

Back in 1988 when Merrifield wrote this book, the study of ritual and magic in academic circles was rare--frowned upon, even. Now it's become something of a cottage industry, but this slim and approachable volume was an early precursor of current fields of study.

The author studied inventories of archaeological digs stretching back many years, looking for the odd bits that archaeologists either didn't know how to interpret or interpreted in a prosaic way--things like bent pins or animal bones, bottles full of "rubbish," or swords fished out of lakes, etc. In exhaustive detail, and stretching back two thousand years, Merrifield showed the ritual meaning of these things by their survival in folk traditions and superstitious. (Bent pins to ward off evil or witches; animal bones for sacrifice; bottles full of hair, urine residue and other things to ward against witches; swords thrown into lakes and rivers as sacrifices by warriors to assure victory, etc.)

It's a fascinating peek into the Western magical tradition and the workings of the minds of our ancestors. Minds and traditions that we all too often share today.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very excellent book, December 17, 2008

By 

Keith E. Eppich "Keith Eppich" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic (Paperback)

"Superstitous ritual can be studied objectively like any other human behaviour, and archaeology can make a major contribution towards its investigation..." (page 184)

This is a really wonderful book. Now, it is a Serious Academoc Text, but Merrifeld writes so well that one doesn't feel as if one is really reading a Serious Academic Text, more of a fun, exploration of the physical remains of ritual events that survive in the archaeological record. It says much about the mental perspectives of an ancient people by looking at how they sought to manipulate the physical and social envrionment by the application of magical thinking.

And there seems to be a lot of peeing into jars...