Title: The Material Culture of Religion: The use of Pottery in Ancient Mediterranean Underworld Cults
Department: Classical Studies
Description: This project will examine the ritual practices of different Underworld cults across the ancient Mediterranean by studying their use of pottery. Pottery is one of the most common artifacts found at archaeological sites and was used in a lot of activities. It can offer insight into the practices of these cults through both its decoration and form, and its ubiquity means that it can be compared across many different sites. It is important to study a variety of cultural practices from different geographic locations in order to consider the cultural exchange in the ancient Mediterranean and how that impacted the development of these Underworld cults. This project will offer a new understanding of the different practices related to death and memory across the ancient Mediterranean and how they influenced each other.
Hometown: Columbia, Missouri
Advisor: Jessica Paga
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