Ritual (Anthropology)

O estudo das celebrações fúnebres e da sua relação com o conceito de vida tem sido um campo fértil para a investigação antropológica. Ao mesmo tempo, os debates em torno das celebrações ou da revitalização de rituais dos calendários agrícolas e religiosos têm-se centrado principalmente no questionamento da sua origem mais ou menos inventada ou dos seus usos patrimoniais. Numa escala menor, este ensaio propõe uma visão da sua (re)performance baseada nas noções de jogo, auralidade e no ethos pragmático da revitalização destas práticas. Parte de uma revisitação da minha etnografia da revitalização dos repertórios quaresmais de culto aos mortos na região da Beira Baixa, propondo uma reavaliação destes rituais a partir da noção de vitalidade. Em diálogo com a antropologia das festas de João Leal, destaco o trabalho de retoma destes repertórios populares como técnicas de agenciamento e de produção de holismo social, mas também como uma afirmação de um sentimento de integração com o meio ambiente local.

O estudo das celebrações fúnebres e da sua relação com o conceito de vida tem sido um campo fértil para a investigação antropológica. Ao mesmo tempo, os debates em torno das celebrações ou da revitalização de rituais dos calendários agrícolas e religiosos têm-se centrado principalmente no questionamento da sua origem mais ou menos inventada ou dos seus usos patrimoniais. Numa escala menor, este ensaio propõe uma visão da sua (re)performance baseada nas noções de jogo, auralidade e no ethos pragmático da revitalização destas práticas. Parte de uma revisitação da minha etnografia da revitalização dos repertórios quaresmais de culto aos mortos na região da Beira Baixa, propondo uma reavaliação destes rituais a partir da noção de vitalidade. Em diálogo com a antropologia das festas de João Leal, destaco o trabalho de retoma destes repertórios populares como técnicas de agenciamento e de produção de holismo social, mas também como uma afirmação de um sentimento de integração com o meio ambiente local.

El presente artículo aborda el concepto de cosmovisión y etnoterritorio desde la perspectiva cultural para comprender la apropiación simbólica del espacio en territorios indígenas. El principal objetivo es analizar a la cosmovisión ngigua sobre la naturaleza como la visión del mundo que permite la construcción del territorio.

Ce dossier thématique porte sur la place et le rôle du langage dans le fait religieux 1 . Par langage, nous entendons tout mode d'expression possédant un contenu discursif -le mot est ainsi employé au sens strict et non pas métaphorique (les images, la musique, la danse, etc., ne sont pas pris en considération). Le dossier offre au lecteur les résultats d'enquêtes menées par des anthropologues et des historiens au sujet de modes d'expression vocaux (parole) ou graphiques (écriture) intervenant dans des situations d'ordre religieux dans des univers culturels variés, depuis l'Antiquité (Mésopotamie, Grèce, Chypre) jusqu'à l'époque contemporaine (Birmanie, Inde, Mali). Les différents exemples dont traitent les auteurs ont en commun de s'inscrire dans un cadre rituel ou en rapport avec un tel cadre, ce qui reflète la prévalence de la ritualité dans l'activité religieuse. Notre champ d'investigation recouvre donc pour partie la question du « langage rituel ». Les contributions prolongent une réflexion classique concernant les aspects remarquables, sur le plan du contenu, de la forme comme des conditions d'énonciation, assumés par le langage religieux / rituel. Les travaux en la matière attestent sa spécificité par rapport aux genres discursifs typiques du quotidien (Mauss

У статті досліджується народний обряд зашивання рота живій жабі в контексті практик «магії зв’язування». На основі архівних матеріалів судово-слідчого походження доби Гетьманщини (Україна, XVIII ст.) проаналізовано особливості ритуалу, послідовність його виконання та місце в архаїчних суспільних уявленнях.
Для верифікації достовірності джерельних свідчень застосовано компаративний метод шляхом зіставлення українських матеріалів із сучасними та історичними прикладами аналогічних ритуалів у країнах Латинської Америки, Карибського регіону та Західної Європи.
Встановлено, що ця обрядова дія належить до практик «симпатичної магії» та застосовувалася як засіб символічного впливу на соціальні відносини, зокрема в межах судових і владних взаємин.
Зроблено висновок про реальне функціонування цієї традиції в народній культурі Гетьманщини та окреслено перспективи подальших міжкультурних досліджень даного феномену.

Historically, cultures all over the world ascribe menstruation an auspicious quality that is simultaneously worshipped and feared. The menstruating woman is a pure and holy being whose touch is somehow polluting. Menstrual taboos prevail, even in cultures that celebrate the onset of menarche. Taking the case of Assamese Hindu society, this paper tries to explore this juxtaposition through Victor Turner’s ideas of the liminal being and Mary Douglas’ conception of purity and pollution. Menstrual taboos thrive in Assamese culture, even as they celebrate tuloni biya (small wedding) when a girl reaches menarche, and worship the goddess Kamkhya’s menstrual cycle. The argument is made that menstrual rites actively construct the idea of the female. Gender is constructed through this cyclical ritual to remind women of their biological destiny as child bearers and nurturers. The taboos become a way to punish the woman for ‘wasting’ her egg that month by not fertilizing it. The contradiction of purity and pollution arises from and perpetuates this idea of a powerful sexual female that must be tamed and controlled. The woman is thus reminded of her role to continue her husband’s bloodline in the heteropatriarchal structure, affecting her self-perception. The conclusion explores how even as celebrations like tuloni biya decline, taboos continue to exist, perhaps affirming the idea of control as the primary motive of menstrual rituals. Menstrual rites become a tool in the hands of a heteropatriarchal structure to ensure women perform their duty of kinship production.

В статье представлены керамические фрагменты стенок урартских карасов с отметками мер емкости, обнаруженные в крепости Эребуни на холме Арин-Берд (юго-восток г. Еревана, Армения) в ходе археологических работ в 2011 и 2024 гг.
Эти находки впервые вводятся в научный оборот. Один из фрагментов был найден  в 2011 г. в смешанном слое на северо-западном склоне холма, а три других обнаруже-
ны в 2024 г. армяно-французской экспедицией в карасной кладовой к северу от «Малого зала» крепости Эребуни. Фрагменты находились среди двух частично разрушенных карасов. Особый интерес представляет фрагмент с отметкой меры емкости аруси,
которая впервые зафиксирована на территории современной Армении.

49th ICTMD WORLD CONFERENCE
14-20 January 2027
Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago, Chile

PANEL ABSTRACT

Reconfiguring Ritual: Gender, Spirituality, and Performativity in Contemporary Contexts

This panel brings together four papers that examine ritual and spiritual practices as dynamic, gendered, and context-sensitive processes, focusing on the shift from ritual efficacy toward performative and experiential forms of spirituality in contemporary settings. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Europe, Japan, and North American diasporic communities, the panel explores how ritual meaning is produced, transformed, and negotiated under conditions of modernity, migration, heritage governance, and changing social imaginaries.
The contributions address winter ritual cycles, masquerade traditions, door-to-door performances, male collective rites, and spiritual movement practices, with particular attention to masculinity, gender inclusion, visibility, and embodiment. The papers focus on ritual forms historically associated with male groups – such as kukeri, koledari, namahage, Alpine winter customs, and newer practices like the Epiphany horo danced in ice-cold waters – examining how these performances articulate gender norms, spirituality, and belonging in relation to media exposure, tourism, and cultural policy. Furthermore, the final paper turns to diasporic contexts, juxtaposing folklore-based public rituals with more inward-oriented spiritual practices, such as Paneurhythmy, to reveal how different expressive forms respond to diasporic needs for continuity, community, and transcendence.
Rather than framing these practices as survivals or revivals, the panel emphasizes transformation, reflexivity, and choice, highlighting shifts from inherited obligation to voluntary participation, from locally bounded ritual space to public or transnational visibility, and from cosmological efficacy to experiential intensity. Methodologically, the papers combine long-term and recent fieldwork, participant observation, interviews, surveys, and cultural policy analysis, allowing for diachronic and comparative perspectives.
By placing gender, ritual, spirituality, and cultural policy in dialogue, the panel contributes to current debates in ethnochoreology, ethnomusicology, and anthropology. It proposes an understanding of ritual not as a fixed tradition, but as a flexible cultural resource through which communities negotiate identity, belonging, and meaning in contemporary and diasporic contexts.

Keywords: Ritual, Performativity, Spirituality, Gender, Tradition, Transformation, Migration.

Panelists: Galia Petkova, Gergana Panova, Dilyana Kurdova, and Daniela Ivanova-Nyberg

This paper examines the symbolic and therapeutic role of fire across ritual traditions and argues that the Temple burn at Burning Man functions as a contemporary spiritual healing ritual.  Drawing from historical and cross-cultural examples of sacred fire practices, psychological research on the effects of fire, and ethnographic reflection from personal attendance at Burning Man, this paper explores how fire facilitates purification, catharsis, transformation, and communal connection. Although Burning Man is frequently dismissed as an alternative arts festival or temporary countercultural gathering, the ritualized use of fire within the event—particularly surrounding the Temple burn—suggests the emergence of a modern form of spirituality rooted in collective healing and symbolic release. By situating Burning Man within broader anthropological discussions of ritual, liminality, and communal transformation, this paper argues that sacred fire practices continue to hold deep psychological and cultural significance in contemporary society.
Keywords: Burning Man, ritual, fire symbolism, healing, spirituality, anthropology, transformation, liminality

O presente estudo tem como objeto os grafites com representações religiosas, situados
em espaços públicos urbanos na cidade de Belém. O grafite é uma expressão artística
disposta no meio urbano que pode expressar diversos temas. Neste estudo, esses grafites
estabelecem uma conexão com a religiosidade local, mais especificamente com as
representações do Círio de Nazaré. As obras são compostas por elementos que remetem
à cultura amazônica e elementos do próprio Círio. Dentre as representações presentes nos
grafites, destaca-se a figura de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, que é homenageada durante o
Círio. O objetivo principal desse estudo é analisar essas expressões.  O aporte teórico que
sustentou a presente pesquisa foi Hierópolis: O sagrado e o urbano, de Zeny Rosendhal
(2009); O sagrado e o profano, de Mircea Eliade (2001) e Pour une esthétique de la
réception, de Hans Robert Jauss (2005). A metodologia do estudo está delineada em três
etapas: etnografia urbana envolvendo o registro fotográfico das imagens dos grafites;
concepção de um corpus a partir do registro fotográfico; e análise das representações
presentes nos grafites alinhada com a teoria estabelecida. Os grafites atuam como agentes
que propiciam a manutenção do tempo sagrado, sendo assim, é possível alcançar esse
tempo mesmo após a festividade do Círio.

Di ujung timur Nusantara, di tanah yang disapa matahari pertama setiap pagi, berdiri sebuah kampung adat yang hidup selaras dengan kekeringan yang mengujinya. Angin kering dari sabana tropis menyisir bukit-bukit tandus di Kabupaten Nagekeo, Nusa Tenggara Timur, menimbulkan suara gemerisik daun lontar dan rerumputan kering yang seolah berbisik tentang kisah lama. Di tempat itulah, berabad lalu, peradaban hadir serta menancapkan akar kehidupan yang tak hanya menaklukkan kerasnya alam, tetapi juga memuliakannya. Inilah Flores Timur, wilayah yang lebih banyak menanggung panas dan haus daripada hujan dan sejuk. Namun, di tengah keheningan alam yang keras itu, terdapat Kampung Adat Boamara tempat kehidupan manusia, batu, kayu, dan mimpi leluhur berpadu dalam harmoni yang tak tergoyahkan oleh waktu. Flores Timur adalah tanah sabana tropis yang kering hampir sepanjang tahun. Angin timur bertiup di antara bukit dan tebing batu, membawa kabar musim yang tak menentu. Hanya empat bulan-Januari hingga Maret, dan Desember-tanah ini merasakan basah. Delapan bulan sisanya, panas dan haus menjadi bagian hidup manusia, ternak, dan pepohonan kering yang menunggu hujan tanpa keluh. Namun di musim kering yang panjang itu, kehidupan tetap berjalan dalam diam. Seolah menegaskan, keheningan juga menumbuhkan kekuatan. Perjalanan menuju Kampung Adat Boamara menampilkan pemandangan alam yang sederhana, tapi megah. Rumput kering memanjang, menguning di bawah matahari. Sapi-sapi menunduk, merumput di antara bebatuan besar yang berserak di bukit. Tebing karang menjulang, melindungi lembah kecil di bawahnya. Dari kejauhan, kampung adat itu terlihat berdiri tenang, seolah menunggu siapa saja yang datang untuk belajar tentang arti hidup.

In September 2012, statistics of Internet search queries (Yandex
Wordstat) recorded the appearance of a new search request: “Nadezhda
Pavlovna Kakhanova.” In subsequent years the frequency of this query
gradually increased, reaching about 2,000 searches per month by
2019 and has remained at approximately this level up to the present.
According to sources of internet lore – stories about “real-life incidents”
shared on online platforms, forums, and social networks – appealing to
Nadezhda Pavlovna Kokhanova, using a specific verbal formula, helps
to find an object that has been lost somewhere in the house. An analysis
of the internet lore texts corpus suggests that Kokhanova has become a
fully formed character of contemporary actual mythology. The article
examines the genesis and functions of this mythological figure as well
as the precedent text (“constitutive myth”) of the ritualized practice
associated with her. It traces the dissemination of this text online and
the evolution of representations of N.P. Kokhanova in internet lore.
The study also analyzes the specific features of the ritual formula and
the ways practitioners interact with this figure, comparing them with
more traditional mythological characters responsible for locating lost
objects. In addition, it identifies factors contributing both to the rise and
to the decline of Kokhanova’s popularity and offers predictions about
the future of this character and the practice connected with her within
the contemporary Russian mytho-ritual space. The article argues that
analyzing the specific modes of communication within internet lore can
contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of tradition
transmission, including oral one.

ABSTRACTDeposits linked to abandonment have been widely recorded across the Maya lowlands, associated with the final activities occurring in ceremonial areas of Classic Maya centers. Various models have been applied to explain the activities that lie behind the formation of these contexts, including those linked to rapid abandonment (e.g., warfare) and others focused on more protracted events (termination rituals, and/or pilgrimages). Here, we assess Bayesian models for three chronological scenarios of varying tempo to explain the formation of peri-abandonment deposits at Baking Pot, Belize. Using stratigraphic information from these deposits, hieroglyphic dates recovered on artifacts, and direct dates on human skeletal remains and faunal remains from distinct layers in three deposits in Group B at Baking Pot, we identify multiple depositional events that spanned the eighth to ninth centuries AD. These results suggest that the processes associated with the breakdown of institutional...

Bu makale École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)'te savunulan doktora tezine dayanmaktadır. 2024 yılında Selen Göbelez tarafından Agnès Martial danışmanlığında Fransa'da L'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)'de tamamlanan "L'épreuve de la maternité. Expériences de l'enfantement en Turquie contemporaine: entre médicalisation, marchandisation et natalisme" başlıklı doktora tezinden üretilmiştir. This article is based on the doctoral thesis defended at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). It was produced from her doctoral thesis titled "L'épreuve de la maternité. Expériences de l'enfantement en Turquie contemporaine: entre médicalisation, marchandisation et natalisme", completed by Selen Göbelez in 2024 at L'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in France under the supervision of Agnès Martial.

In this chapter we survey sacrificial implements from the (bio)archaeological record of Mesoamerica and compare them with written sources and iconography, specifically in ritually cutting open the thorax. Our study emphasizes the diversity of sharp-edged weaponry across temporal and cultural spheres. By examining forensic taxonomies and evidence along with the material study of sacrificial knives, swords, and blades, we put into perspective implements with particular practices of lacerating and penetrating the human body during and after sacrificial immolation, as exemplified by heart extraction and cutting open the trunk. Their representations in codices and, above all, in archaeologically recovered Aztec specimens provide additional insight into knives and their handles. The large corpus of knives with divine attire in the ritual deposits of the Templo Mayor are especially informative; some knives are richly adorned with the accoutrements of their sacred impersonators, such as Itztli and Iztapaltotec. Other deities, such as Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, Xiuhtecuhtli, and Xochipilli, were represented as flint knives with their different diagnostic insignia. Similarly, Classic Maya sacrificial knives were also identified with their godly designation. We conclude that, beyond instrumenting sacrificial death, Mesoamericans conceived knives as catalysts for the birth of the gods in a great cosmogonic fertilizing act, as illustrated in codices and described in myths. Based on these diverse lines of evidence, the flint knife signifies human sacrifice as a means of generating life from death.

In this work we present and validate an analytical protocol of soft tissue residue identification, focused on archaeologically retrieved human blood. It integrates macroscopic scrutiny, targeted sampling procedures, and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray scattering microprobe (SEM-EDS), facilitating the morphological characterization of organic remnants preserved in deteriorated conditions. We then apply the proposed protocol to the study of seven Prehispanic specimens that due to their morphology and context were likely used in ritual practices of sacrifice and self-sacrifice: obsidian knives, tranchets, bone awls and stingray spines. The implements were recovered at the archaeological sites of El Zethé (Hidalgo), Cantona (Puebla), Yaxchilán (Chiapas) and Holmul (El Petén, Guatemala). Our results show biconcave disc structures with a diameter of 6 to 8 μm, compatible with human erythrocytes, along with remnants of muscle fibers, collagen, fibrin and skin fragments. Their microscopic demonstration confirms their original archaeological identification and opens a promising new venue of archaeometric validation for future research in evaluating the role of sacrificial instruments as vehicles of sacred communication and agents of penance in Mesoamerican ritual systems. We further prospect the SEM blood remnant scrutiny for profiling the biological identity of individuals linked to these artifacts, as exemplified by the hemoglobin remnants apparently belonging to Lady Xook, once an important female sovereign ruling in the Classic Maya center of Yaxchilán, Chiapas.

Abstract en Español
El texto que el lector tiene en sus manos versa sobre la poesía oral en Cerdeña y pretende cubrir el vacío de conocimiento que existe en el mundo hispanohablante en relación con la poesía de improvisación sarda. En sus páginas encontrará el lector la información necesaria para ponerse al corriente sobre la "Gara poetica", así como las claves metodológicas para comprender en profundidad los entresijos y recovecos de la composición de "Modas" y "Sonettos" -dos tipos de poemas particularmente sardos- de los poetas improvisadores de la isla y, más concretamente, para desvelar el misterio de la creación poética de Bernardo Zizi, decano de los poetas improvisadores sardos.
El libro recoge dieciocho "Modas" y veinte "Sonettos" que Bernardo Zizi elaboró para cantarlos en poesía a sus paisanos en los lugares donde se encontraban emigrados. Para ellos, los poetas eran como el cordón umbilical que les unía simbólicamente a Cerdeña, que les re-nutría con valores culturales de pertenencia e identidad. Una identidad cultural vehiculada a través de la "Gara poetica" y expresada en sardo, la lengua materna, sin duda el principal y más robusto pilar sobre el que se erigen las sociedades humanas. La lengua nativa como guardián de la cultura, y los poetas improvisadores como sus mensajeros predilectos.

Abstract in English
The text the reader holds in their hands deals with oral poetry in Sardinia and aims to fill the gap in knowledge that exists within the Spanish-speaking world regarding Sardinian improvisational poetry. Within its pages, the reader will find the information needed to familiarise themselves with the "Gara poetica", as well as the methodological keys to gaining an in-depth understanding of the intricacies and nuances of the composition of "Modas" and "Sonettos" – two distinctly Sardinian types of poem – by the island’s improvisational poets and, more specifically, to unravel the mystery of the poetic creation of Bernardo Zizi, the doyen of Sardinian improvisational poets.
The book brings together eighteen "Modas" and twenty "Sonettos" that Bernardo Zizi composed to sing in verse to his fellow countrymen in the places where they had emigrated. For them, the poets were like the umbilical cord that symbolically bound them to Sardinia, nourishing them anew with cultural values of belonging and identity. A cultural identity conveyed through the "Gara poetica"  and expressed in Sardinian, the mother tongue, undoubtedly the main and strongest pillar upon which human societies are built. The native language as the guardian of culture, and the improvisational poets as its favoured messengers.

This paper examines the microtoponymy of the village of Plasnica, based on unpublished materials preserved in the Božidar Vidoeski Collection in the Archive of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Plasnica is located in the valley of the river of the same name, a right tributary of the Treska River, in the Lower Kičevo region. The village is historically attested in Ottoman tax registers (defters) from 1467–1468 under the name Plašnica and appears in subsequent sixteenth-century records. The analysis relies on field materials collected by Academician Božidar Vidoeski, comprising approximately one hundred microtoponyms recorded in a field notebook. These names refer to locations within the territory of Plasnica as well as adjacent villages: Preglovo, Dvorci, Ižište, Latovo, Rusjaci, and Oreovec. To the south, the slopes of Buševa Planina form a boundary zone with the territories of the Kruševo villages Gorno Divjaci and Pusta Reka. The microtoponyms are presented in alphabetical order, each accompanied by an etymological interpretation. The analysis reveals a clear predominance of Slavic formations, while non-Slavic elements are considerably less frequent and consistently exhibit adaptation to the phonological and morphological system of the Macedonian language.

"De manera que estos indios tuvieron por mayores y preminentes en superlativo grado a estos dos dioses Cons y Pachacama, porque fueron más poderosos que el sol, ni la luna, ni la tierra; más que idos estos dioses quedaron estos tres por dioses, pues los ven cada día, porque acrecientan, multiplican y clarifican lo que los otros hicieron y formaron. Esto me paresce que basta decir en cuanto a lo que toca a las supersticiones tan pésimas y tan malas que usaban estos indios en aquel a tiempo tan feroz y de tanta ceguera en que el demonio los tenía engañados en muchas y diversas cosas de gran maldad y abominación de la soberbia. Más, en fin, al fin todo hubo fin con la venida de los cristianos [...]". Gutierrez de

In a previous work, we analysed the identifiable elements of the symbolic landscape unthin a 10 km radius of the Gétye rondel These include 1, the Ligetfalva rondel, 2, a mass grave of the Lengyel culture in Esztergályhorváti (P. BARNA 1996; 2015; 2017a, 18-19, 118-131) and 3, a high lalll called Pogányvár, tvhich landscape element could be considered as apossible target of the orientation of the Gétye rondel (Fig. 1. 2). It can be assumed that the elements of the symbolic landscape that we have identifed so far existed at least partly simultaneously, togetherforming pár ts of a System so we can State that there must have been interactions betioeen them. In this paper, we examine the boundaries and interactions between the elements and leuels of this symbolic landscape in the following relations:
1. The relationship between the Gétye rondel and the landscape (the relationship urith the terrestrial and the celestial landscape). Geographical enuironment and enuironmental reconst- ruction. The relationship betioeen Gétye-Gyomgyáló-lejtős site and Pogányuár hűl Relationship uhth the sky: orientation
2. Relationship betioeen the rondel and a pit lying in the centre of the rondel (Feature 2) Chronologicalpositions andfnds of Features 2 and 4.
3. Relationship betioeen Gétye-Gyomgyáló lejtős site and Lengyel culture settlements in its uicinity idith special regard to Esztergályhorváti, a site ofa mass grave of the formatiue phase of the Lengyel culture.
4. Relationship betioeen the Gétye and Ligetfalva rondels.
The inflling of the rondel at Gétye may have begun betioeen 5030 (68.3%) and 4945 cal BC (Figs. 4.3-4; 5.1; Table 1). This very early dating confrms the signifcance of the rondel in the region, both in the context of the ritual landscape and the Lengyel settlement netiwork.

Η ΕπανΈνταξη αποτελεί μια νέα περιοδική έκδοση
με θεματικό αντικείμενο την κοινωνική επανέν
ταξη των αποφυλακισμένων ατόμων, την επιτυχή
τους δηλαδή επιστροφή στο κοινωνικό σύνολο,
καθώς και όλες τις επί μέρους όψεις οι οποίες συν
θέτουν αυτή την επιστροφή ως κοινωνικό και ευρύ
τερα πολιτισμικό φαινόμενο. Συνιστά έκδοση του
ΝΠΙΔ ΕΠΑΝΟΔΟΣ, του πολιτειακού φορέα που είναι
επισήμως υπεύθυνος για την εν λόγω επανένταξη
και γενικότερα για τη μετασωφρονιστική μέριμνα
και αρωγή στην Ελλάδα.

Ceremonial lithics from the site of Ucanal are featured in the chapter, Comparison of Chert Silhouettes from the Late and Terminal Classic Eastern Lowlands, published as part of the edited volume by Zachary Hruby, Ceremonial Lithics in Classic Mesoamerica (2026).

Questo capitolo del volume "Lessico Leopardiano 2025" approfondisce l'uso dei lemmi "vanità" e "vano" all'interno dell'opera di G. Leopardi. L'analisi pone attenzione tanto alla distribuzione dei termini nella microdiacronia dell'opera leopardiana quanto a uno studio dei concetti e delle altre voci che entrano in rapporto di solidarietà o di antinomia con i lemmi in esame.

The article aims at treating what the Albanian custom's right is, the historical and social conditions of its birth and its implementation. As well, it stops on the historical evolution of this right and on the considerations of some foreign and Albanian authors about it. The analysis is focused only on the codes of Leke Dukagjini and that of Scanderbeg, as two of the most important ones which acted in the north of the country, in Dukagjins' and Kastriots' principates. Their content and their composition as well as their basic features are described in the article. Special attention is dedicated to the originality of the Albanian custom's right, considering these codes as moral codes, ethical and juridical codes with its institution, such as: the institute of Oath, hospitality, etc.

Liminality is an interesting but neglected theory. It helps us in understanding the mental process during a lethal condition like life threatening disease. The present study is an attempt to revisit and explore the wider implications of liminality. The main contributors in this field were Arnold Van Gennep and Victor Turner. Voluminous research has been produced on the basis of theory of liminality. Liminality is applied in the management studies, in Mathematics, in research process, in teaching and even in glass making. In psychology, social sciences, folk studies, in academia, in understanding the condition of the Diaspora, the refugees, the migrants, the immigrants, in terms of buildings, landscapes, modern life, pregnancy, adulthood, even in bungee jumping and adventure sports, etc., liminality has added a new lease of understanding. Liminality has played a pivotal role in understanding the phases of development of a society

The effectiveness of ritual is a major anthropological question. In this paper, I challenge some of the explanations anthropologists have provided to such a question and I attempt to formulate an original theorization of ritual as metaphor. The proposed hypothesis is grounded in two inspiring concepts: Ernesto De Martino's idea of “dehistorification” as the main technique of the ritual and Bruce Kapferer's “virtuality” as its proper dynamic dimension. Drawing on these theoretical foundations and a direct ethnographic experience and conceiving of ritual as a practice rather than as a symbol, I propose to regard it as a particular practice of metaphorization that is not representative of reality but effective on it.

El artículo explora el trasfondo histórico, agrícola y espiritual del período del Omer y el origen del duelo asociado a la muerte de los alumnos de Rabí Akiva. A partir de fuentes bíblicas, talmúdicas y midráshicas, se analizan las múltiples interpretaciones sobre la mitzvá del recuento del Omer, su relación con la cosecha en la Tierra de Israel y su transformación simbólica a lo largo del exilio. El texto muestra cómo, con el paso del tiempo, los días del Omer se cargaron de significados vinculados a persecuciones históricas, tragedias comunitarias y tensiones contemporáneas, como la catástrofe de Merón. El autor propone ampliar la comprensión del Omer integrando sus dimensiones halájicas, históricas y espirituales para iluminar el sentido del duelo y su complejidad.

кандидат філологічних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри туристичного супроводу Університет Ататюрка ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9196-7118 У статті проаналізовано символіку чисел у народних казках України та Туреччини. Вивчення чисел у жанрі казки дозволило виявити культурні паралелі та відмінності у жанрі казки двох різних народів. Доведено, що числові символи є важливою частиною фольклорної спадщини, адже вони не лише структурують наративи, але й відображають світогляд, релігійні уявлення та моральні цінності суспільства. Числа 3, 7, 12 та 40 у різних фольклорних системах набувають особливих значень, які передаються через казки та легенди. Аналіз частотності та ролі кожного з цих чисел в українських та турецьких казках дає підстави вважати, що числова символіка виконує сакральну та комунікативну функцію. Зокрема, число 3 в обох культурах асоціюється з повнотою, завершеністю та циклічністю, однак має свої культурні особливості: в українській традиції воно часто позначає завершення етапів чи випробувань, а у турецькій-успіх після двох попередніх спроб. Число 7 у фольклорі України та Туреччини також є сакральним і символізує магію та таємничість, об'єднуючи небесне і земне. Однак якщо в українській культурі воно поєднується із духовною гармонією, то в турецькій набуває рис божественної сили. Число 40 рідше зустрічається в українській казковій традиції, однак у турецькому фольклорі воно займає особливе місце і асоціюється із процесом очищення та символізує період оновлення. Порівняльний аналіз показує, що числова символіка у казках України та Туреччини, попри схожість окремих мотивів, має свої унікальні особливості, зумовлені релігійними і соціокультурними впливами. Символіка чисел у фольклорі цих народів формує багатий світ образів, що служить важливим каналом збереження національної ідентичності та передачі культурної пам'яті з покоління в покоління. Дослідження дозволяє краще зрозуміти історичні, релігійні та соціальні взаємозв'язки між двома народами, розкриваючи як універсальні символічні мотиви, так і культурну специфіку. Ключові слова: українська народна казка, турецька народна казка, символіка чисел, символ, фольклор.
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Book abstract:

In 2013–8 a programme of archaeological works was
undertaken on land to the south-east of Amesbury,
Wiltshire, in advance of the King’s Gate Phase 4
residential development. The preliminary stages of
work, comprising geophysical survey and evaluation
relating to the wider development area, were followed
by targeted excavation (in Parcels P, R, S and T),
and strip, map and record excavation (in Parcel Q
and the School Site). As in previous phases, these
works revealed features of Neolithic, Bronze Age and
Iron Age date, including part of an Early Iron Age
open settlement.
Previous archaeological investigations within
the wider development area, at Butterfield Down,
Boscombe Down West and Southmill Hill, have
revealed a landscape rich in prehistoric and Romano-
British remains, including monuments, settlements
and burials. The latter include the Beaker graves of
the Amesbury Archer and Boscombe Bowmen. The
Iron Age settlement at Southmill Hill lies directly to
the north of the main excavation area in Parcel Q
and was preserved in situ as part of the development
consent and a management plan.
The recent excavations recorded several features
containing Late Neolithic Grooved Ware, Beaker
pottery and Early Bronze Collared Urn and Food
Vessel pottery, indicating the extension to the south
and south-west of activity previously recorded
mainly at higher elevations on Amesbury Down. A
small mixed-rite group of Middle Bronze Age graves
lay on the south-east-facing slope of a dry valley. An
extensive spread of soil, containing struck flint and
other finds, which sealed the graves and extended to
their west, may represent the plough-levelled remains
of a turf mound raised over one or more of the graves.
The excavation also provided a further
opportunity to examine one of the Wessex Linear
ditches which crosses Amesbury Down, although it
appears to have had little influence on the location
and extent of Early Iron Age settlement activity
which extended, from its focus to the north-east,
over its line towards the south-west. The Early Iron
Age features, including roundhouses, four-post
granary-type structures, individual pits and clusters
of intercutting pits, are clearly an extension of the
settlement previously recorded on the King’s Gate
Phases 1/2 excavation to the north-east. Of major
significance is the large animal bone deposit found in
the upper levels of one of the pit clusters. Radiocarbon
dating indicates that this deposit formed over a
short time span, representing one or possibly two
depositional episodes linked to a communal feasting
event. Isotope analysis on cattle bones from the
deposit indicates that these animals derived from a
single herd, probably reared locally but potentially in
a chalkland coastal setting. The evidence suggests the
settlement may have had wider links and highlights
the importance of sharing food and resources to
bind communities.
Evidence for a later presence – Romano-British
and post-medieval/modern – was limited. Romano-
British activity on Amesbury Down falls within two
main zones – a zone of settlement-related features
lying to the north of the northern Wessex Linear
ditch, and a mortuary zone comprising a line of up to
eight cemeteries along the line, or to the immediate
south of the ditch. The absence of Romano-British
features from the Phase 4 works appears to confirm
this pattern of landscape organisation. A multiple
sheep burial, a lynchet and a rectilinear array of
truncated undated ditches/gullies are likely to be of
post-medieval/modern date.

Complete book available at: https://wessexarchaeologylibrary.org/

This article aims to examine the bibliometric characteristics of tourism research in Nakhon Ratchasima province during 2010-2023, published in the Thai Journals Online database (ThaiJO), using descriptive statistics to analyze trends and plan future research. The results revealed a total of 105 research articles, with the highest number of publications in 2021 (25 articles). The institution with the most publications was Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, and the main discipline studied was tourism science. The findings demonstrate an increasing trend in tourism research in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The article suggests that systematic research planning, integrated research, and utilization of bibliometric analysis tools should be implemented to better understand the overall research landscape, leading to systematic research planning and diverse research that meets the needs of the province. Furthermore, Nakhon Ratchasima is a large province with numerous tourist attractions that are not yet well-connected. Research on logistics and supply chain management related to tourism accounts for only 4 out of the 105 total research articles (3.81%), presenting a significant research gap that researchers can address by conducting more research in this area.

The oral narrative Lasi Ni Neno, a Tonis poem from the »Kuan Fatu Chronicle«, preserves the migratory history of the Neno name group to the Lamu region in South Amanuban, West Timor. The narrative is structured into three distinct phases that address the acquisition of land by migrants (atoin anaot) and the socio-political precedence of the hamlet masters (kua tuaf), a defining characteristic of Atoni Meto society. The first migration is led by the ancestors Kius Pitae and Lil Mata Kbeti. Driven by the search for fertile land, they depart from their ancestral home at Mount Mutis. A central element of this migration is the strict adherence to Adat: the migrants seek out the legitimate ruler, the Uis Banam in Niki Niki, to formally petition for land. Following the presentation of ritual gifts, they are granted territory for settlement. Although the narrative emphasizes their initial agricultural success, this prosperity is abruptly interrupted by the invasion of violent enemies (Kase Metan). After a brutal raid on the village of Tublopo, their son Mutis Neno flees with his followers to the hill of Tuik Neno. Leveraging his spiritual authority, the ancestors dispatches an army of wasps and hornets to repel the attackers. Nevertheless, this migratory phase concludes tragically. The second part recounts the arrival of Tanesib and Bi Ke`an, who follow in the footsteps of their ancestors generations later. They, too, submit to the protection of the Uis Banam to ensure safe passage through the wilderness. In the Lamu region, the hamlet masters re-legitimate the settlement rights; however, this attempt at land occupation also remains unsuccessful. It is only a third migration to the Lamu that achieves permanence, establishing the continuity of the Neno name group to the present day. This Tonis poem illustrates that migration is not merely a physical movement, but a process sanctioned through the recognition of socio-political precedence, thereby securing the identity and survival of the Neno name group.

L’étude des symboles et des lieux du sacré constitue un champ d’analyse particulièrement complexe, dans la mesure où elle engage des dimensions à la fois culturelles, historiques, sociales et cognitives. Dans ce cadre, il convient de noter que le sacré ne se présente pas comme une réalité homogène, mais comme un ensemble de constructions symboliques dont les formes varient selon les contextes et les traditions. L’objectif de ce manuscrit est d’examiner la continuité de ces constructions à travers le temps, tout en analysant les mécanismes par lesquels elles se transforment et se reconfigurent.

El presente trabajo analiza etnográficamente la producción de vulnerabilidad institucional en el fuero penal bonaerense a través de un caso de violencia vecinal con dimensiones de género, tramitado ante una Fiscalía de Instrucción y un Juzgado de Garantías del departamento judicial del conurbano norte de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Articulando el registro formal del expediente electrónico con un archivo digital extendido de comunicaciones entre la víctima y su letrado (20232026), el estudio revela una paradoja estructural: la respuesta estatal más rápida y sensible no provino de las instancias más jerarquizadas del sistema, sino de un organismo popular de menor rango con presencia territorial directa en el barrio de la víctima. El análisis identifica tres dispositivos centrales de obstaculización burocrática: la creación de requisitos procesales ad hoc sin base normativa, la aplicación inconsistente de fundamentos para dilatar la tramitación, y el uso de artefactos digitales opacos para paralizar el expediente. Estos mecanismos, conceptualizados a través de la "burocracia de frontera" (Tiscornia, 2004) y el "derecho intersticial" (Santos, 1987), configuran una máquina de revictimización institucional que opera no por intención maliciosa declarada, sino por la sedimentación de culturas organizacionales que priorizan el flujo formal del expediente sobre la dignidad y la seguridad de la persona que lo sustenta. El trabajo concluye con propuestas de reforma institucional situadas en la experiencia concreta del caso y con una reflexión sobre las posibilidades y límites de una etnografía jurídica políticamente comprometida.

Two distinct forms of organization are found on the island of Sumba (Indonesia): egalitarian tribal societies in the west, and complex chiefdom societies in the east and north. In the former, the territories of neighboring ethnic groups are areas of predation where livestock, slaves, and heads are obtained. The constant need for heads for fertility rituals maintained a system of endless wars between neighboring groups. These could only be obtained from other ethnic groups, and their circulation was carefully calculated to maintain a balance that was never achieved. While looting was an integral part of military expeditions, economic factors were never predominant and territorial conquests were unknown. The same was not true in stratified societies, where war took place within a geopolitical framework more familiar to us. Led by "kings" who were akin to "warlords," wars could result in the annexation of a neighboring domain. They were a means of maintaining the loyalty of "vassals" and other dependents through the distribution of booty. The armies included slaves and mercenaries, the latter coming from the neighboring islands of Sumba. The wars were fought between rival supreme leaders whose families also exchanged wives.

A Igreja dos Veneráveis Mártires São Gonçalo Garcia e São Jorge,
localizada na Rua da Alfândega, centro da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, e a
Paróquia de São Jorge, situada no bairro de Quintino, subúrbio dessa mesma
cidade, são alguns dos locais onde ocorrem festas para São Jorge nesse
município. Realizadas no dia 23 de abril, consideramos que essas
comemorações constituem bons casos para desenvolver nossa reflexão sobre
festas e culto aos santos em centros urbanos, isso porque, durante a
festividade, a rotina dessas igrejas e de seus arredores é alterada em vista da
inclusão de homenagens ao "santo guerreiro": a realização de missas mais
freqüentemente, o desvio do trânsito e a visitação de milhares de pessoas a
esses locais fazem parte dessas manifestações, além da intensificação da
venda de objetos votivos e outros nos arredores. A partir da análise
comparativa do material organizado por meio da descrição etnográfica e da
realização de entrevistas com devotos, participantes e demais pessoas
envolvidas na organização das festas, temos como objetivo de nossa
exposição pontuar algumas questões que possam nos ajudar a refletir sobre as
características dessas comemorações e como estas são organizadas num
contexto que nos leva a questionar justamente a condição religiosa das
mesmas.

ԳԵՂԱՐՔՈՒՆԻՔԻ ՄԱՐԶՈՒՄ 1 Հ ոդ վա ծըվե րա բե րումէՍբ.Ստե փա նո սին՝քրիս տո նեա կաննշա նա վոր նա հա տա կիննվիր վածսրբա վայ րե րին:Սբ.Ստե փա նոսՆա խավ կան Ընդ հան րա կանԵկե ղե ցուսրբե րիցէ՝բո լորմար տի րոս նե րիցանդ րա նի կը,Քրիս տո սիհա մարնա հա տակ վածառա ջիննա խա սար կա վա գը:Հայ Առա քե լա կանԵկե ղե ցինսրբիտո նընշումէդեկ տեմ բե րի26ին,սա կայն ժո ղովր դա կանուխ տիօրըչիհա մընկ նումեկե ղե ցա կա նիհետ: Հոդ վա ծում ներ կա յաց վում են ՀՀ Գե ղար քու նի քի մար զում գտնվող Սբ.Ստե փա նոսՆա խավ կա յիանու նըկրողսրբա վայ րե րը,նրանցներ կա յիսնկա րա գի րը,ավան դազ րույց նե րը,գոր ծա ռույթ ներնուըն կա լում նե րը:Աշ խա տան քումներ կա յաց վածենհե ղի նա կի՝2016-2019թթ.հա վա քածդաշ տա յինազ գա գրա կաննյու թե րը: Շահ Աբա սի կազ մա կեր պած բռնա գաղ թի հե տեւան քով սույն տե ղանքն ամա յա ցել է եւ մնա ցել չբնա կեց ված մին չեւ ԺԹ. դա րը։ 1829-1830 թվա կան նե րին Բա յա զետ քա ղա քից ներ գաղ թում են բազ մա թիվ ըն տա նիք ներ։ Հիմ նա կա նում եկ վոր նե րը նոր բնա կա վայ րե րի եկե ղե ցի ներնումա տուռ նե րըկո չումէինայննույնսրբա տե ղի նե րիանուն նե րով, որոնք թո ղել էին հայ րե նի եզեր քում, իսկ նոր ան վա նա կոչ ված սրբա վայ րե րի մա սին չենք կա րող ճշգրիտ տվյալ ներ ներ կա յաց նել. կրո նա կան այդ կա ռույց նե րին վե րա բե րող տե ղե կու թյուն ներ շրջա նա ռու թյան մեջ չկան՝ պայ մա նա վոր ված այդ տա րածք նե րում հնաբ նակ ներ չլի նե լու հան գա ման քով։