Shadows and Solid Things: A History of Religion and Archaeology in the Modern World

Archaeology began in an era when many people read ancient religious texts literally, believing that what was described on the page corresponded to a material reality that existed beneath the soil. With a shovel in one hand and a sacred text in the other, early archaeologists sought confirmation in concrete evidence. In the process, they opened themselves to the disturbing possibility that they would find nothing—or, perhaps even more unsettling, discover evidence that would challenge their ...