Polis & Sanctuary. Function and Importance of Sacred Areas for the Society

The Conference is organized in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology of the Mediterranean of the University of Bern.

Polis & Sanctuary aims to investigate the importance and polyvalent functions of sacred areas for apoikiai in the Western Mediterranean with a primary focus on Magna Graecia and Sicily (8th – 5th cent. BC). Both urban sanctuaries and those located in the territory of the respective poleis represent a veritable laboratory for the analysis of the structure and the function of ancient communities in and outside the apoikiai. Sanctuaries provide information on numerous aspects of religious practices and shed light on the composition of the community, on the forms of social organization, on religious and political associations, and on the dynamics of identity and social needs.

The conference approaches this complex topic from an interdisciplinary perspective, including new approaches from the studies of religions, ancient history, cultural anthropology as well as from archaeology. By taking into account as many Greek colonies of the Western Mediterranean as possible, the conference aims to investigate and re-think the social, political, religious and cultural role of sanctuaries.

The event will be hybrid, the talks and the round table discussion will be held physically with simultaneous online video streaming.