Popular religion and ritual in the east Mediterranean

On 10-11 December 2013 a conference entitled Popular religion and ritual in the east Mediterranean from the 3rd millennium BC to the 5th century AD was held by the Faculty of History and Archaeology of the University of Athens. Further information is available at http://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/ARCH449/Pop_rites_Program.pdf and http://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/ARCH449/Pop_rites_AbstractsA5.pdf. Papers of interest to Nestor readers included:

I. Caloi, "Non‐funerary rituals in the burial complexes of Mesara (southern Crete) in the Middle Bronze Age period"

S. Déderix and M. Devolder, "In the shadow of the palaces. Honoring the dead during the Neopalatial period"

S. Privitera, "Inverting vases in Minoan Crete: Where? When? For what purpose?"

A. Højen Sørensen, W. L. Friedrich, K. Søholm, and S. Katsipis, "Ritual response to natural events depicted on wall‐paintings at Akrotiri, Thera"

Γ. Βαβουρανάκης, "Τελετουργία, πλήθος και κοινωνική δομή στη Μινωική Κρήτη. Ritual, multitude and social structure in Minoan Crete"

Ε. Σίκλα, "Όψεις της οικιακής λατρείας στη Μινωική Κρήτη: η μαρτυρία των ειδωλίων. Aspects of domestic cult in Minoan Crete: the evidence of the figurines"

Λ. Πλάτων, "Ένας Μινωικός 'χύτρος'; Μία απρόσμενη αρχαιολογική μαρτυρία για την πιθανή προϊστορική καταγωγή ενός αρχαιοελληνικού τελετουργικού. A Minoan 'hytros'? An unexpected archaeological evidence for the possible pre‐historic origin of an ancient Greek ceremonial practice"

M. Haysom, "Mass and elite in Minoan extra‐urban sanctuaries: a comparative perspective"

Μ. Γεωργιάδης, "Λέσκα Κυθήρων: ένα αγροτικό ιερό κορυφής. Leska at Kythera: a rural peak sanctuary"

Θ. Ηλιόπουλος, "Η 'Μινωική θεά μεθ' υψωμένων χειρών' σήμερα. The 'Minoan goddess with upraised arms' today"

Γ. Γεωργίου, "Δύο νέα τεκμήρια για τη θρησκεία και την ιδεολογία στην Κύπρο κατά την Πρώιμη Εποχή του Χαλκού. Two new documents for the religion and ideology of Early Bronze Age Cyprus"

N. Papadimitriou, "Variations in the interpretation of funerary rituals in the LBA Aegean, Cyprus and the Levant. A question of context or theory?"

Ε. Σαλαβούρα, "Λύκαιον (Αρκαδίας) και Όρος (Αίγινας): Δύο περιπτώσεις Υστεροελλαδικών υπαίθριων ιερών σε ψηλές κoρυφές. Mount Lykaion (Arcadia) and Mount Oros (Aegina): two cases of Late Bronze Age sacred 'high places'"

A.‐L. Schallin, "Indications of cultic ritual at the Mycenaean potter´s workshop at Mastos in the Berbati Valley"

Π. Πολυχρονάκου-Σγουρίτσα, "Επανεξετάζοντας τα Μυκηναϊκά ειδώλια. Mycenaean figurines revisited"

H. Whittaker, "Approaches to popular religion in Late Bronze Age Greece"

M. Boyd, "Popular ritual in Mycenaean funerary practices"