“Worlds Otherwise”

Alberti, Benjamin; Fowles, Severin; Holbraad, Martin; Marshall, Yvonne; Witmore, Christopher

doi:10.1086/662027

Cited by 215 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The chapters in this volume address different dimensions and implications of ritual in the prehispanic, colonial, and post-colonial Andean world. Many contributors to this volume were inspired theoretically by studies in cultural anthropology (Alberti et al 2011;Geertz 1973;Rappaport 1999;Turner 1969), particularly those within the Andean realm (e.g., Bastien 1978;Weismantel 1988). The goal of this volume is to synthesize archaeological studies of ritual specifically for the Andes by (1) exploring the various methods (e.g., architecture, ceramic styles, Geographic Information Systems) with which archaeologists identify ritual in the material record and (2) discussing the influence ritual had on the formation of, reproduction of, and changes in community life in past Andean societies.…”

Section: Figuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since agency-or the various capacities encompassed by this concept-is a fundamental quality on which taxonomies of being are based, knowing how it is attributed to various entities in different cultures is central to understand the cosmologies involved and, more specifically, their underlying ontologies. The far-reaching implications of this debate have led some scholars to speak of an "ontological turn" in social theory (Alberti et al 2011;Olsen 2010).…”

Section: Conclusion: the Nature Of Andean Christianitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reconstructing Early Colonial Andean Ritual Practice at Pukara, Peru: An Architectural Approach

Abraham¹

2017

Rituals of the Past: Prehispanic and Colonial Case Studies in Andean Archaeology

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Prehispanic settlements in the LowerEvery July 16, the people from the small town of Chavín de Huántar in Ancash, Peru, celebrate the Virgen del Carmen festival. A clear fusion between Catholic and Andean beliefs, the Virgen del Carmen celebration is a well-organized event that involves the entire community. Typically, two sponsors (mayordomos) are in charge of organizing the festivities, which include the procession of the Virgen (figure 1.1), a mass at the local church, a live music band, a potluck meal, and bullfighting. To prepare for this event, the community is divided to partake in particular activities, such as preparing chicha (a traditional alcoholic corn beverage), baking special breads, and sacrificing pigs and chickens for consumption. Some of the classic Andean principles of reciprocity, community, and duality can be seen during this celebration (Murra 1975; Rostworowski de Diez Canseco 2001). Locals and visitors clearly enjoy these days of praying, dancing, eating, drinking, and fireworks. The Virgen del Carmen festival coincides with the beginning of the harvest season, the most important time in the agricultural cycle for farming communities. The celebrations, however, also renew ties with Catholic figures by attending mass, praying, and participating in the colorful procession while also strengthening relationships among local townspeople who must work together in preparing the food (e.g., meat, bread, and alcohol) for public consumption. Ethnographic and ethnohistoric studies have shown that the interplay of customary and collective actions among humans and 4 SI LVANA A. ROSENFELD AND ST EFANI E L. BAU T ISTA between humans and non-humans or supernatural agents, through the ritual mixture of Catholicism and indigenous practices, has been central to many communities in both South America and Mesoamerica (e.g., Nutini 1988; Rostworowski de Diez Canseco 1992). This volume seeks to highlight, from different archaeological perspectives and contexts across the Andes, how ritual affected or was affected by the diverse groups of peoples in this region.The practice of ritual across time has long fascinated anthropologists, as it can highlight some of the most integral, emotive, and elaborative practices of human life. The study of ritual can demonstrate the interconnections among the various aspects of society, such as religion, politics, and economy. Though ritual has long been important to anthropologists (e.g., Bastien 1978; Bolton 1979; Flores Ochoa 1977; Geertz 1973; Rappaport 1999;Turner 1967), archaeologists have only more recently recognized the importance of studying ritual and its role in past societies (e.g., Bauer and Stanish 2001; Benson and Cook 2001; Kyriakidis 2007). Ritual is now considered a major component in the development of some ancient sociopolitical systems, as it aided in their creation, maintenance, and change (DeMarrais, Castillo, and Earle 1996; Marcus and Flannery 2004; Pauketat et al. 2002).While there have been discussions of how different archaeological frameworks ...

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Section: Figuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conclusion: the Nature Of Andean Christianitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing Early Colonial Andean Ritual Practice at Pukara, Peru: An Architectural Approach

Abraham¹

2017

Rituals of the Past: Prehispanic and Colonial Case Studies in Andean Archaeology

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“…1 In any case, with secularism being deconstructed, its unspoken ontological claims will have to be reexamined, and other possibilities considered (cf. Alberti et al 2011). We believe that all understanding is achieved by an interpretive process conducted against the background of a narrative, or "framing story" (Smith 2009).…”

Section: Secularism and Anthropology's Scientific Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging the Religiously Committed Other: Anthropologists and Theologians in Dialogue

Meneses¹,

Backues²,

Bronkema³

et al. 2014

Current Anthropology

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Anthropology has two tasks: the scientific task of studying human beings and the instrumental task of promoting human flourishing. To date, the scientific task has been constrained by secularism, and the instrumental task by the philosophy and values of liberalism. These constraints have caused religiously based scholarship to be excluded from anthropology's discourse, to the detriment of both tasks. The call for papers for the 2009 meetings of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) recognized the need to "push the field's epistemological and presentational conventions" in order to reach anthropology's various publics. Religious thought has much to say about the human condition. It can expand the discourse in ways that provide explanatory value as well as moral purpose and hope. We propose an epistemology of witness for dialogue between anthropologists and theologians, and we demonstrate the value added with an example: the problem of violence.Since its inception, anthropology has been engaged in two main tasks. The first is the scientific task of seeking to understand the full dimensions of the nature and expressions of humankind. The second, based on the first, is the instrumental task of using those understandings to press for processes, projects, and policies that will protect and nourish the best of that nature and its expressions.It is our contention that the depth of anthropology's perspective on humanity, and therefore the relevance of its instrumental uses, has been constrained by the modernist epistemological assumptions and commitments that have generally governed Western academic discourse. In particular, the commitments to secularism and to liberalism, operating in the background of the discourse, have led to the exclusion of religiously based perspectives as intellectually coequal. That exclusion has resulted in a limiting of the theoretical and practical insights available for the advancement of anthropology's perspective in the contemporary world.

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“…Archaeologists participating in this "ontological turn" are rethinking western axioms of being, agency, materiality, and relations and how they may impede deeper understandings of cultures with different ontological moorings (Alberti et al 2011). One group has rallied under the banner of "symmetrical archaeology," arguing for the interpenetration of people and non-human entities that essentially co-create one another (e.g., Olsen 2010; Webmoor and Witmore 2008;Witmore 2007).…”

Section: Embodiment Object Agency and Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

Ritual Use of Obsidian from Maya Caves in Belize: A Functional and Symbolic Analysis

Stemp¹,

Awe²

2014

Obsidian Reflections: Symbolic Dimensions of Obsidian in Mesoame

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“Worlds Otherwise”

Cited by 215 publications

References 46 publications

Reconstructing Early Colonial Andean Ritual Practice at Pukara, Peru: An Architectural Approach

Reconstructing Early Colonial Andean Ritual Practice at Pukara, Peru: An Architectural Approach

Engaging the Religiously Committed Other: Anthropologists and Theologians in Dialogue

Ritual Use of Obsidian from Maya Caves in Belize: A Functional and Symbolic Analysis

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