The problem observed in the attempt to identify ritual actions, lies in the fact that Aegeanists remained trapped in their erroneous endeavor to reveal beliefs and reconstruct religious rituals. The insatiable desire of archaeologists to interpret excavation findings as indications strictly for religious and in general cosmological expressions of the people in prehistoric Aegean, often resulted in arbitrary conclusions. Ritual is a complicated action, thus frustrating and hectic when it comes to its theoretical analysis. Therefore, the present seminar endeavours to approach ritual in prehistoric Crete by standing in the middle between the arbitrary and/or the over-reconstructed interpretations, dealing with the term of ritual as a social aspect which may offer indications concerning social organization in the Late Bronze Age. Under a bottom-up perspective, the possible contribution of rituals to the formation of the social milieu will be discussed with the students. In more detail, the impact of domestic rituals on establishing social ties and rules, which govern social order or disorder will be investigated in contrast to the so-called palatial rituals. Are there any similarities and or differences? If yes, what do they tell us about Minoan society? Moreover, the discerning of those characteristics that distinguish private from public/collective rituals is a key issue, whilst it is also worth trying to distinguish ritual objects from those being used in everyday life. Finally, a new definition on ritual, which applies to Minoan archaeology, will be suggested.

The seminar size will be limited to only 20 people in order to have a fruitful and educational discussion. In case you have any questions, please contact the Assist. Director: irishinstitutegr@gmail.com