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Prehistoric archaeology has had major difficulties in identifying ritual practices. The history of archaeological approaches ranges from a total repudiation of the capability of the discipline to recognise and analyse ritual activities in the past, to absolute acceptance of all identified prehistoric patterns as ritual. Even within a postmodern apprehension of the world, where deconstruction of all established perceptions seems to have reached an end point, prehistoric archaeology has never successfully constructed a notion of ritual in prehistory. Acknowledging that ritual definition and identification is a problem of the modern western archaeologist, this thesis identifies the root of the problem in methods of thinking deeply rooted in western civilization, in our cultural schemata, and in approaches to archaeology that only superficially observe the problem rather than confront and resolve it. In seeking a resolution, this work proposes a structural dismantling of the problem and its recomposition from its basics. The thesis proposes a middle-range theory based on structuralism and pragmatics and a method of meticulous contextual and relational analysis for the identification and interpretation of ritual practices in prehistory. As a starting point, death is identified as the quintessential category for the exploration of a mytho-logic system and its subsequent definition. The treatment of the dead is recognised as the ideal starting point for an examination of the archaeological record in quest for ritual. Ritual structural elements identified in the context of burial are used subsequently for the identification of non-death ritual practices. The identification of religious practices in Early Prehistoric Cyprus reveals a vibrant ritualpracticing culture contrary to previous commonly accepted observations. Structured depositions in ritually empowered containers; ritual transport; hoarding; symbolic abandonment; ritual sealing; ritual burning; ritual use of burials for the creation of liminality; construction of highly symbolic structures and subsequent attribution of agency to them, all constitute religious practices attested by this thesis for the Cypriot PPNB and Aceramic Neolithic. This identification of ritual in Early Prehistoric Cyprus enables the exploration of this culture’s mytho-logic. The thesis demonstrates how early Cypriots viewed their world and their position in it. Finally, this research offers new perspectives in recognising past socio-cultural realities through the examination of ritual practices.

Mortuary practices in the western provinces of the Roman Empire up to c.A.D. 300 are considered in the context of recent work in other areas on the archaeological interpretation of mortuary remains. Regional surveys of Britain, Gaul and the western Mediterranean give the background for detailed analyses of large samples of excavated data by quantitative means. There are few examples of cemeteries excavated on a large enough scale to provide truly satisfactory samples at least of urban mortuary populations and where full research has been done on the dating of individual graves and on the skeletal material. However, it has been possible to isolate detailed chronological changes in burial practices at particular places and also to distinguish differences within cemeteries and between contemporary cemeteries. It is argued that there were strong local traditions for communities using individual cemeteries, as well as at a regional level, but that within those traditions there were other variations which can best be explained as related to social factors. The applicability of this interpretation is restricted by the lack of satisfactory palaeodemographic studies, but the case for a social explanation to variations in burial practice is stronger here than in other archaeological areas because of tighter chronologies, larger samples and a better understanding of the living societies, and especially because the variations can be seen as parts of the wider traditions. The relationships between cemeteries and settlements and religion and burial practices are discussed. Doubt is also cast on the validity of the demographic conclusions based on the most common methods of studying the skeletal material.

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Responding effectively to aItemative ideas about humanity's past is a growing concern for many archaeologists, as popular television programs, the Internet, and best-selling books increasing.ly promote theories which dramatically oppose accepted academic archaeological interpretations. However, this problem has traditionally been undertheOlised, or considercd primarily within scientistic fonnulations which simplistically contrast good, logical. '0l1hodox' archaeology with bad, illogicaL 'lunatic fringe' archaeology. As an analysis of some CUlTent ideas about the archaeological past demonstrates, this can be a false dichotomy that impedes constructive thinking. Neither dowsing nor psychic archaeolob'Y, for example, are clearly illogical or marginalised practices~ designating them as such, however, reveals much about a priori convictions. Earth Mystelies in the U.K. has features in common with Blitish academic archaeology. Apocalyptic threads running through some alternative archaeology books are ancient in their structure, not strange and new, and can also emerge in academic archaeological writings. This does not mean that there are no grounds for disting.uishing between different accounts of the past, but it does mean that some standard intolerances within archaeology, based upon notions of demarcation which do not \\ork, must be questioned. Outside the discipline but exerting their influence within it the Skeptics' mO\'cment and the 'anti-anti-Science' contingent of the Science Wars are increasing polarisation around issues of rationality, and responding to divergent ideas inside and outside academia with open hostility. However, there are well-established philosophies that pennit the avoidance of such divisive and all-encompassing conflict. A henneneutic rather than foundationalist approach to the dilemmas of alterity provides more robust and responsible possibilities.