ABSTRACT
This book has by necessity been critical in tone, for only by dismantling existing archaeological approaches to religion can we attempt to rebuild a more coherent archaeology of religions. Furthermore, it is hoped that the adoption of a critical approach to existing research will stimulate muchneeded debate concerning this neglected area of archaeological endeavour both within and-it is optimistically further added —outside our discipline. For in this respect a key point to reemphasise is that a presumption of archaeological ‘ownership’ of the relevant data and debate produces a non-starter from the outset. If anything, the archaeological study of religion demands an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approach.
