Course Descriptions

The intention of this course is to consider interpretations of archaeological material evidence and mythological sacred stories and symbolism regarding the veneration of the Sacred in female forms and regarding the existence of sustainable, egalitarian societies at the root of civilizations - in Africa, Old Europe, Crete and Greece, Anatolia, the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Asia, and the New World. In light of the iconography, social structure, and rich ceremonial life of these earliest peoples, and the transition to patriarchal societies, we will reframe the academic discussion and spiritual understanding of the evolution of human cultures. A special focus will be to discover the multifaceted interconnectedness of the Goddess iconography and symbolism with the cyclic reality of the natural world. As a working framework for research and interpretation, we incorporate the worldview and methodologies of women’s spirituality with archaeomythology, a multidisciplinary methodology developed by archaeologist Marija Gimbutas that combines archaeology, mythology, cultural history, ethnology, linguistics, genetics, and other disciplines to craft a multidimensional investigation of female iconography and rituals in the prehistoric eras.