Thank you Michael! Glad you enjoyed the book!

Thanks for picking it up. Happy reading!

Next, public scholar Sundar Sarukkai presented a fascinating keynote on how we sense the social.
"The senses not only access the social but perception itself is fundamentally social in character."
#senses #sensorystudies #uncommonsensesv

This collection of studies explores the experience of rituals in the ancient Roman world through the lens of cognitive and sensory sciences. The authors examine how cognitive and sensory processes shaped the perception, memory, and meaning of religious ceremonies.

These works combine historical, archaeological, and iconographic evidence with theories from psychology, anthropology, and neurobiology, offering new interpretations of both pagan and Christian ritual practices.

The book highlights the variability of individual experiences within rituals and their importance for understanding ancient religion.

The 5th chapter analyses the 4th c. pilgrimage of Egeria to Jerusalem, focusing on her account of the Good Friday ceremony and the interaction of pilgrims with relics such as the wood of the True Cross, the inscription, Solomon’s ring, and the horn used for anointing the kings of Israel.

The 4th chapter by A. Graham analyse the Salutarius procession in Ephesus, described in foundation inscriptions, as both a ritual event and a cognitive experience. They explore various aspects of the ritual, from organisational details and the route of the procession to the roles of participants.

The 3rd chapter by Vicky Jewell analyses the significance of colours in Greco-Roman sacred spaces, focusing on their perception by ancient viewers within the framework of cognitive theories and philosophy.

The 2nd chapter by Emma-Jayne Graham examines the haptic production of religious knowledge among the Vestal Virgins in Roman religion, using the Ara Pacis frieze to argue that the material objects carried by the Vestals actively shaped their ritual experiences and understanding.