From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects
There is a great variety of symbol-laden objects in the late Chalcolithic period (ca. 4300-3900 BC). In the past, they have been interpreted mostly as designators of social status and evidence of social hierarchy. The present paper discusses this heterogeneity and the use of symbol-laden objects thr...
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University of Belgrade
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Etnoantropološki Problemi |
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| Online Access: | https://eap-iea.org/index.php/eap/article/view/1336 |
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| author | Milena Gošić |
| author_facet | Milena Gošić |
| author_sort | Milena Gošić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is a great variety of symbol-laden objects in the late Chalcolithic period (ca. 4300-3900 BC). In the past, they have been interpreted mostly as designators of social status and evidence of social hierarchy. The present paper discusses this heterogeneity and the use of symbol-laden objects through the concept of inalienable possessions defined by Annette Weiner. The symbolism of these objects makes them socially valuable. It dictates their use as a means of communication, which is frequently ritual or ceremonial (or both), while restricting them from being exchanged for economic gain. In the case of the Chalcolithic period, the heterogeneity of such objects, on the one hand in terms of their materiality, production, and design, and on the other as related to the context from which they have been retrieved, points to their prominent use in household ritual practices best described as magical.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b88a167b0239415688048bbaadef8aec |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0353-1589 2334-8801 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | University of Belgrade |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Etnoantropološki Problemi |
| spelling | doaj-art-b88a167b0239415688048bbaadef8aec2025-08-20T02:41:30ZengUniversity of BelgradeEtnoantropološki Problemi0353-15892334-88012025-07-0120210.21301/eap.v20i2.10From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden ObjectsMilena Gošić0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6129-5186Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of BelgradeThere is a great variety of symbol-laden objects in the late Chalcolithic period (ca. 4300-3900 BC). In the past, they have been interpreted mostly as designators of social status and evidence of social hierarchy. The present paper discusses this heterogeneity and the use of symbol-laden objects through the concept of inalienable possessions defined by Annette Weiner. The symbolism of these objects makes them socially valuable. It dictates their use as a means of communication, which is frequently ritual or ceremonial (or both), while restricting them from being exchanged for economic gain. In the case of the Chalcolithic period, the heterogeneity of such objects, on the one hand in terms of their materiality, production, and design, and on the other as related to the context from which they have been retrieved, points to their prominent use in household ritual practices best described as magical. https://eap-iea.org/index.php/eap/article/view/1336inalienable possessionsprehistorymagicChalcolithicsouthern Levant |
| spellingShingle | Milena Gošić From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects Etnoantropološki Problemi inalienable possessions prehistory magic Chalcolithic southern Levant |
| title | From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects |
| title_full | From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects |
| title_fullStr | From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects |
| title_short | From Inalienable Possessions to Magic: Social Practices Behind the Diversity of Chalcolithic Symbol-laden Objects |
| title_sort | from inalienable possessions to magic social practices behind the diversity of chalcolithic symbol laden objects |
| topic | inalienable possessions prehistory magic Chalcolithic southern Levant |
| url | https://eap-iea.org/index.php/eap/article/view/1336 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT milenagosic frominalienablepossessionstomagicsocialpracticesbehindthediversityofchalcolithicsymbolladenobjects |