SOILS, STONES AND SYMBOLS: CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE MINERAL WORLD; ED. BY NICOLE BOIVIN

Ethnographic and archaeological records feature a rich body of data suggesting that understandings of the mineral world are in fact both culturally variable and highly diverse. Soils, Stones and Symbols highlights studies from the fields of anthropology, archaeology and philosophy that demonstrate that not all individuals and societies view minerals as commodities to be exploited for economic gain, or as passive objects of disembodied scientific enquiry. In visiting such diverse contexts as contemporary India, colonial-period Australia and prehistoric Europe and the Americas, the papers in this volume demonstrate that in pre-industrial societies, minerals are often symbolically meaningful, ritually powerful, and deeply interwoven into not just economic and material, but also social, cosmological, mythical, spiritual and philosophical aspects of life. In addressing the theme of the mineral world, this book is not only unique within the social and geo-sciences, but also at the forefront of recent attempts to demonstrate the importance of materiality to processes of human cognition and sociality. It draws upon theoretical developments relating to meaning, experience, the body, and material culture to demonstrate that studies of rock art, landscapes, architecture, technology and resource use are all linked through the minerals that constantly surround us and are the focus of our never-ending attempts to understand and transform them. From veneration to exploitation: human engagement with the mineral world -- Nicole Boivin Ochre, clay, stone and art: the symbolic importance of minerals as life-force among aboriginal peoples of northern and central Australia -- Paul SC Taçon From the earth: minerals and meaning in the Hopewellian world -- Douglas K. Charles ... [et al.] The mirror of the sun: surface, mineral applications and interface in California rock-art -- David Robinson A phenomenology of the buried landscape: soil as material culture in the bronze age of south-west Britain -- Mary Ann Owoc The cosmic earth: materiality and mineralogy in the Americas -- Nicholas J. Saunders An axe to grind: symbolic considerations of stone axe use in ancient Australia -- Adam Brumm Geoarchaeology and the goddess Laksmi: Rajasthani insights into geoarchaeological methods and prehistoric soil use -- Nicole Boivin Choosing stones, remembering places: geology and intention in the megalithic monuments of Western Europe -- Chris Scarre Reading the earth: philosophy in/of the field -- Robert Frodeman -- Epilogue: Humans in a mineral world -- Mary Ann Owoc. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Preface TABLE OF CONTENTS Notes on Contributors List of Illustrations 1 FROM VENERATION TO EXPLOITATION: HUMAN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MINERAL WORLD 2 OCHRE, CLAY, STONE AND ART: THE SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE OF MINERALS AS LIFE-FORCE AMONG ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AUSTRALIA 3 FROM THE EARTH: MINERALS AND MEANING IN THE HOPEWELLIAN WORLD 4 EARTH, WOOD AND FIRE: MATERIALITY AND STONEHENGE 5 THE MIRROR OF THE SUN: SURFACE, MINERAL APPLICATIONS AND INTERFACE IN CALIFORNIA ROCK-ART 6 A PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE BURIED LANDSCAPE: SOIL AS MATERIAL CULTURE IN THE BRONZE AGE OF SOUTH-WEST BRITAIN 7 THE COSMIC EARTH: MATERIALITY AND MINERALOGY IN THE AMERICAS 8 AN AXE TO GRIND: SYMBOLIC CONSIDERATIONS OF STONE AXE USE IN ANCIENT AUSTRALIA 9 GEOARCHAEOLOGY AND THE GODDESS LAKSMI: RAJASTHANI INSIGHTS INTO GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL METHODS AND PREHISTORIC SOIL USE 10 CHOOSING STONES, REMEMBERING PLACES: GEOLOGY AND INTENTION IN THE MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS OF WESTERN EUROPE 11 READING THE EARTH: PHILOSOPHY IN/OF THE FIELD 12 EPILOGUE: HUMANS IN A MINERAL WORLD INDEX "Soils, Stones and Symbols highlights studies from the fields of anthropology, archaeology and philosophy that demonstrate that not all individuals and societies view minerals as commodities to be exploited for economic gain, or as passive objects of disembodied scientific enquiry. In visiting such diverse contexts as contemporary India, colonial-period Australia and prehistoric Europe and the Americas, the papers in this volume demonstrate that in pre-industrial societies, minerals are often symbolically meaningful, ritually powerful, and deeply interwoven into not just economic and material but also social, cosmological, mythical, spiritual and philosophical aspects of life."-- Prové de l'editor "Soils, Stones and Symbols highlights studies from the fields of anthropology, archaeology and philosophy that demonstrate that not all individuals and societies view minerals as commodities to be exploited for economic gain, or as passive objects of disembodied scientific enquiry. In visiting such diverse contexts as contemporary India, colonial-period Australia and prehistoric Europe and the Americas, the papers in this volume demonstrate that in pre-industrial societies, minerals are often symbolically meaningful, ritually powerful, and deeply interwoven into not just economic and material but also social, cosmological, mythical, spiritual and philosophical aspects of life."--Jacket