ABSTRACT
Recent research relevant to the origins of what might be termed ‘symbolic behaviour’ has just been described. Within this field, it could be suggested, most scholars involved would baulk at the use of the term ‘religion’ as applied to these early contexts-rightly, in most instances, as was noted. But definitional applications aside, overall the history of research into the archaeology of religion is a somewhat patchy one. The archaeology of religion has tended to be considered within the type of frameworks already defined, piecemeal, as part of something else, a single aspect perhaps rather than as a complete entity-a fact best indicated by the sometimes obsessional focus upon the archaeology of death and burial evident (see pp. 67-71), as opposed to considering the possible wider perspective, even though the evidence might permit this. The history of archaeological approaches to religion will be charted later, but prior to this we need to consider what other major disciplines there are involved in the study of religion.
