Studies in this series examine sacred space through its material and textual culture, using this as a lens to explore various aspects of social, political and religious experience, change and continuity. An open and exploratory approach to theoretical frameworks and methods of analysis and explanation will be one of its central aims and contributions.
The timeframe and geographic area represented encompass a number of different disciplines and area studies; archaeology, ancient history, Assyriology, classical archaeology, Egyptology, Near Eastern archaeology and philology. By integrating studies of textual, architectural, iconographic, and archaeological forms of evidence, Contextualizing the Sacred encourages interdisciplinary research. Contemporary concern with religious landscapes of the Middle East (and increasingly of Europe) is driving increased study of its ancient cultures and the religious roots of Europe. This series is a stimulating medium for this developing field.