Transformation of Mediterranean Ritual Spaces from Late Antiquity to the Early Arab Conquests: Material Evidence
By Leonela Fundic Macquarie University Over the period from the fourth to the beginning of the eighth centuries, sacred landscapes in the Mediterranean underwent fundamental changes, which were caused by (or were the reflection of) cultural and artistic interactions between different religions and their utopian ideals. Firstly, the expansion of Christianity and decline of paganism contributed to destruction of local sacral shrines and temples or their transformation into Christian churches. Afterwards, Persian and especially Islamic conquests resulted in even more dramatic and permanent transformations of sacred topography in the same region. Archaeological research, however, has not produced much evidence for violent destructions of pagan shrines by Christians. Rather, excavations suggest that many pagan temples were abandoned in the pre-Christian period and reused for different purposes, including holding certain festivals, markets and other public events. In some cases, Christia...