Official Course Description
From an archaeological perspective, ancient Western Greece is one of the most exciting yet least-studied regions of Greece. The same holds true for the sanctuaries and cult sites of this area, which will be the focus of the course. The sanctuaries and cult places of Acarnania display a great variety, ranging from small shrines to large sanctuary complexes of supra-regional importance. The seminar deals with the (sacred) landscape that provides the framework and setting, the built environment, and the various objects (e.g., pottery, coins, inscriptions, terracottas) that were used in these sanctuaries and later discovered.
In archaeological-historical research, ancient sanctuaries are understood not only as places of divine worship but also as social, economic, and cultural hubs. Cult, religion, and ritual constitute an important component of everyday life on several levels, while also structuring moments of special significance. In recent years, the material culture of Greek sanctuaries has again come into focus in classical studies—especially concerning questions about Greek religion (the “material turn” / “post-material turn”), which treats religion as a “material phenomenon” and “belief as a practice founded in the material world” (Haysom et al. 2024, 7). In addition to religious practices, the course will also examine social structures and economic aspects.
To approach the material culture of Acarnanian sanctuaries and become familiar with various archaeological research practices, students will work in different learning formats with selected sanctuaries, cult sites, and cult landscapes in Acarnania. The emphasis is on working with finds and votive material. Moreover, the seminar will teach basic archaeological skills and introduce the main source types of Classical Archaeology. The workshop is a RMU cooperation and is conducted together with Dr. Anne Sieverling (Institut für Altertumswissenschaften, JGU Mainz).
[b]Schedule[/b]
Kick-off: 17 April 2026 (online), 10:00–14:00
Block seminar: 18 & 19 August 2026, JGU Mainz, Philosophicum, 2nd floor, room P210, 09:00–17:00
[b]Literatur:[/b]
[list]
[*]F. Lang, Felsen und Steine - Mutmaßungen über an-ikonische Kultstätten in Akarnanien, in: M. Giannopoulou – Chr. Kallini (Hrsg.), Echadin. Timetikos tomos gia ti Stella Drougou (Athen 2016) 738–758
[*]F. Lang, Architektur im Kontext akarnanischer Kultorte, in: O.?Vikatou – V.?Staikou – F.?Saranti (Hrsg.), To Archaelogiko ergo stin Aitolokarnania kai ti Lefkada, Proceedings of the 2nd International Archaeological and Historical Congress 6-8.12.2013) (Mesolonghi 2018) 109–123
[*]M. Haysom – M. Mili – J. Wallensten, Introduction: The Stuff of the Goods, in: M. Haysom – M. Mili – J. Wallensten (Hrsg.), The Stuff of the goods. The material aspects of religion in ancient Greece, Skrifter utgivna av Svenska Institutet i Athen 59 (2024) 1–14, doi: https://doi.org/10.30549/actaath-4-59-00
[*]J. M. Barringer – G. Ekroth – D. Scahill (Hrsg.), Logistics in Greek sanctuaries: exploring the human experience of visiting the gods, Monumenta Graeca et Romana 30 (Leiden 2025), doi: 10.1163/9789004720909
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- Lecturer: Anna-Lena Krüger