Resumen de Magic, Religion, and Ritual in Historical Archaeology
This introductory article explores the complex and overlapping concepts of magic, religion, and ritual, and the ways in which archaeologists’ understanding of these concepts informs the interpretation of the material record. A discussion of the development of an historical archaeology of ritual highlights current controversies and deficiencies in the discipline, notably assumptions regarding race and ethnicity. An overview of the themes and topics addressed in the articles in this thematic issue, and their relevance to the broader field of historical archaeology, concludes the paper.
