{"product_id":"materia-magica-andrew-t-wilburn-9780472117796","title":"Materia Magica: The Archaeology of Magic in Roman Egypt, Cyprus, and Spain","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis exciting new study draws on objects excavated or discovered in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century at three Mediterranean sites. Through the three case studies, \u003ci\u003eMateria Magica\u003c\/i\u003e identifies specific forms of magic that may be otherwise unknown. It isolates the practitioners of magic and examines whether magic could be used as a form of countercultural resistance. Andrew T. Wilburn discovers magic in the objects of ancient daily life, suggesting that individuals frequently turned to magic, particularly in crises. Local forms of magic may have differed, and Wilburn proposes that the only way we can find small-town sorcerers is through careful examination of the archaeological evidence. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStudying the remains of spells enacted by practitioners, Wilburn's work unites the analysis of the words written on artifacts and the physical form of these objects. He situates these items within their contexts, to study how and why they were used. \u003ci\u003eMateria Magica\u003c\/i\u003e approaches magic as a material endeavor, in which spoken spells, ritual actions, and physical objects all played vital roles in the performance of a rite. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMateria Magica\u003c\/i\u003e develops a new method for identifying and interpreting the material remains of magical practice by assessing artifacts within their archaeological contexts. Wilburn suggests that excavations undertaken in recent centuries can yield important lessons about the past, and he articulates the ways in which we can approach problematic data. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Andrew T. Wilburn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0472117793\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780472117796\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Michigan Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/22\/2013\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 376\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.50w x 1.40d","brand":"Andrew T. Wilburn","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48453313593599,"sku":"9780472117796","price":94.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_4aa3538a-d4f8-4a8a-9186-9badbf2914ad.jpg?v=1777299526","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/materia-magica-andrew-t-wilburn-9780472117796","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}