a€?Templesa€? in the Neolithic and Copper Age in Southeast Europe

摘要

Several buildings dated to the Neolithic period and Copper Age in Southeast Europe have been designated as a€?templea€?, a€?sanctuarya€?, a€?cultic structurea€? or a€?place of culta€? in scholarly works. The present contribution discusses the problems of identifying religious architecture; it elucidates some of these archaeological records and evaluates arguments with which the designation a€?templea€? or a€?cultic structurea€? is justified. Thereby, the author concludes that no structure has been found among the houses excavated in Southeast Europe that can be classified as a a€?sanctuarya€?. Instead, there are many indications that ritual activities took place in every dwelling and that these were specially decorated for such occasions. The author also considers so-called a€?special buildingsa€? of the Neolithic period in the Near East and discusses their absence in Southeast Europe.