Smith, A. T., ed. (2001). Holy ground:. Oxford: Archaeopress.

introduction, exploring recurrent themes based on the key issues of: the criteria for archaeological interpretation of ritual space; issues and difficulties raised by the definition of ritual space; the concept of the boundary in the relationship between ritual and non-ritual space; the differentiation of ritual space as a reflection of culturally specific cosmological concepts, and its use to communicate or reinforce information; and responses to death, and associated ritual behaviour, as demonstrated through the use of space on mortuary or burial sites

discusses the distinctions made between secular and ritual activity and whether these can be distinguished in the archaeological record. The author addresses these issues through an examination of the Early Neolithic flint mines of the South Downs, arguing that a purely functional interpretation of these sites is too simplistic and suggesting that they would have become increasingly visible in the surrounding landscape and would have developed a monumental aspect. He argues that their symbolic importance is emphasized by their continued use as funerary monuments and incorporation into later landscapes, and that the location and original use of these sites was embedded within cosmological frameworks of belief and practice

the paper discusses the drawbacks of the common practice of making an a priori interpretation of sites or zones within sites as either sacred or profane. The author uses the study of animal utilization at the Iron Age hillfort at Danebury, Hampshire, to illustrate the complexities inherent in such a division, and proposes as an alternative the use of a `sliding-scale' model , which could be attributed to numerous explanations and could direct and shape further research

the author uses the Roman military site of Trimontium near Newstead, southern Scotland to demonstrate that a high proportion of deposition on site, mainly from pits and wells, cannot be explained by `normal' social and economic activity. He demonstrates that there appear to be clear distinctions in the material selected for deposition in the pits compared to the occupational spreads, the analysis indicating a preference for military and equestrian equipment and metal and wood-working tools, and suggests the need to use an approach in which consideration of belief systems, socio-economic factors and issues of survival and recovery are fully integrated

the author considers the nature of pilgrimage, suggesting that as well as focusing on the objective of the pilgrimage -- the space around the shrine -- it can also be defined as a journey in which a mobile ritual space is created, and proposes the need for a broader analytical perspective, and that a theoretical approach is an important avenue for inquiry, providing possible frameworks for interpretation of what has survived and as an indication of what may be looked for elsewhere in the archaeological record