This study provides a concrete example of how foraging societies enculturate and transform the natural environment and, through the use of material objects, create sacred spaces and sites. Using ethnographic and ethnohistorical information about the Khanty of Siberia, Jordan shows the shortcomings of both interpretive and materialist anthropological theorizing about hunters and gatherers. He focuses on the rich and complex relationship between the symbolism of the Khanty, their material culture, and the bringing of meaning to physical places. His examination looks at the topic in both historical and contemporary contexts, and in scales from the core-periphery model of Russian colonialism to the portrait of a single yurt community. Jordan's work will be of importance to those studying cultural anthropology, archaeology, and comparative religion.
Peter Jordan is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen .
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Foreword: Landscape Anthropology Chapter 2 Foreword: Landscape Archaeology and Ethnographic Analogy Chapter 3 Preface Chapter 4 Chapter One: Anthropology, Hunter-Gatherers, Social Theory Chapter 5 Chapter Two: Material Culture and Landscape Chapter 6 Chapter Three: Locating the Siberian Khanty in Time, Space and Culture Contact Chapter 7 Chapter Four: Entering into Ethnography: Malyi Iugan Khanty Society and Economy Chapter 8 Chapter Five: The Role of Animals in Routine and Ritual Practice Chapter 9 Chapter Six: Sacred Places in the Landscape Chapter 10 Chapter Seven: Enculturation of Place: Settlements of the Sacred, the Living and the Dead Chapter 11 Chapter Eight: Enculturation of Space: Landscape, Tenure and Territoriality Chapter 12 Chapter Nine: Conclusions: A Landscape Anthropology of the Siberian Khanty Chapter 13 References Chapter 14 Index