Ritual Violence – Rituals of Violence

There is almost no phenomenon as difficult to identify in the archaeological record as ritual violence. Yet we know that violence and rituals are fundamental historical forces that have not only radically altered societies, but also ›regulated‹ them over long periods of time. They have thus contributed as much to the establishment of accepted social norms, political structures and property relations as to their overthrow. The aim of the 12th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany was to discuss the reciprocal relationship between ritual and violence at an international and interdisciplinary level. The two-volume conference proceedings, with over 30 case studies, provides a historical survey of the mutual relationship between violence and ritual.