In this Book
- Materia Magica: The Archaeology of Magic in Roman Egypt, Cyprus, and Spain
- Book
- 2013
- Published by: University of Michigan Press
- Series: New Texts from Ancient Cultures
summary
Materia Magica approaches magic as a material endeavor, in which spoken spells, ritual actions, and physical objects all played vital roles in the performance of a rite. Through case studies drawing on objects excavated or discovered in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century at three Mediterranean sites, Andrew T. Wilburn identifies previously unknown forms of magic. He discovers evidence of the practice of magic in objects of ancient daily life, suggesting that individuals frequently turned to magic, particularly in times of crises.
Studying the remains of spells enacted by practitioners, Wilburn examines the material remains of magical practice by identifying and placing them within their archaeological contexts. His method of connecting an analysis of the texts and inscriptions found on artifacts of magic with a close consideration of the physical form of these objects illuminates an exciting path toward new discoveries in the field.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Abbreviations
- pp. xiii-17
- Introduction
- pp. 1-11
- Chapter 2 - Materia Magica
- pp. 54-94
- Chapter 6 - The Archaeology of Magic
- pp. 254-272
- Appendixes
- pp. 273-286
- Bibliography
- pp. 287-326
- Image Plates
- pp. 360-377
Additional Information
ISBN
9780472028689
Related ISBN(s)
9780472036608, 9780472117796
MARC Record
OCLC
846445917
Pages
376
Launched on MUSE
2013-08-12
Language
English
Open Access
No