Archaeology Magazine - March 1953 - 58

ner's insistencethat whereas the Humanities have been neglected by the
foundations, the foundations ought in
the immediate future to safeguard the
humanities above all. To readers of
this journal, such a conclusionmay be
so familiar as to seem trite. Actually
the source of the conclusionis such as
to make it a pronouncementof importance. Throughout much of his life,
the principal forces acting upon the
author were medical. He is surely not
unaware of the needs of medical
schoolstoday, and of a thousand other
needs in numerous other fields known
to him in his long career. But he has
turned to the humanities as the area
where help is most needed. *
I venture to think that the conclusion
is enforced to no small extent by the
contemplationof precisely that looseness and unsettlement of mind, that
lack of understanding and solidity, so
noticeablein recent years. In the past
it is humane studies which have
claimedan important place in the effort
to make people see life steadily and
see it whole. Today no sensibleperson
would say that any one study has, or
can have, or should have, a monopoly
in the training which produces a clear
head and a fine heart. Indeed we need
most of all that ability to discriminate
which goes deeper than the current
hasty and unreal divisionof the realm
of knowledgeinto Humanities,Sciences
and Social "Sciences" (seil. Studies).
But this is the beginningof another interestingstory.
Sterling Dow
Harvard University

bring them fruitfully together requires
a special act of synthesis,however, by
someone with understanding of both
archaeologicaland religious research.
In Jack Finegan, fortunately, the
requisite conditions are met. Teachers
of art and archaeology, on the one
hand, and of history of religions, on
the other, will welcome this book, for
it supplements the special learning of
each discipline.Here Mr. Finegan does
for the world religions what he did
earlier for Judaism and Christianity in
his Light From the Ancient Past. He
assembles background data from the
wide field of archaeologicaldiscovery
to illumine religious history, particularly in its formative periods.
The task is performed for Primitivism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism,Confucianism,Taoism,
Shinto,Islam and Sikhism.For each religion he gives relevant findings from
prehistory, traces major epochs in development, including art, architectural
and institutional forms, and surveys
characteristicideas from its literature,
monumental inscriptions and traditional practice. For example, the chapter on Hinduism, beginning with a
brief outline of India's geography,takes
up Pre-Aryan archaeologyand religion
revealed by excavations at Harappa,
Mohenjo-daroand Chanhu-daro,passes
to the civilization and religion of the
Vedic period, based on data in the
Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads,
and reckons with historic periods such
as the Maurya, Kushan, Gupta and
others for ancientIndia, and with Early
and Late Periods for mediaeval India.
For each period the author describes
the character of Hindu temples,shrines,
Religions and Archaeology
main religious literature and notable
The Archeology of World Religions,
religious
personages. Twenty-four reby Jack Finegan. xi, 599 pages, 260 markably clear photographic reproillustrations,9 maps. PrincetonUniver- ductions illustrate appropriate archisity Press, Princeton 1952 $10.00
tectural and iconographie forms of
Heretofore, studies in archaeology material expression.The effect for the
and in general history of religionshave reader is an over-all picture of Hindu
tended to revolvein separatelycentered religion within its total cultural conthough overlappingorbits. Material re- text.
mains of prehistoriccultures have been
In the treatment of India's other maexamined for their light on the be- jor faiths, Jainism, Buddhismand Sikhginnings of civilization. Sacred litera- ism, relatively larger space is given to
tures, cult practices and ideas of his- description and analysis of sacred
toric faiths have been studied for their books. These religions are not prehissignificance in the development of toric in origin. Componentsof the synman's religious interest. Both areas of thesis, consequently,are concepts from
study have disclosed worthy data. To the sacred books, descriptions of tem58

ples, pillar and rock inscriptions,characteristicsculpture and accountsof the
historic epochs. Seventy-four fine illustrations convey the requisite visual
impression.These chapters taken with
that on Hinduism give a remarkably
completeindication of India's religious
creativity in its many-sided proliferation.
Archaeologicaldata proper find their
fullest use in the treatment of the religion of prehistoric man. Here are
given intelligible brief expositions of
the dimensionsof prehistory,the rise of
Homo Sapiens, and examples of prehistoric art in cave sculpture, drawing
and painting. Deductions as to possible
religiousbeliefs are related to practices
of preliterate man observable today
among Congo pygmies, Bushmen,Andaman Islanders, Azande tribes of the
Sudan and North American Indians.
Illustrations are of various artifacts
from Pacific Island peoples as well as
of carvings and paintings from the,
caves of Les Combarelles, Font-deGaume, Niaux, Tue d'Audoubert and
Lascaux. Similar effective use of prehistoric data is found in the chapter on
Confucianism. Here remains of the
Yang Shao, Lung Shan and Anyang
cultures in the form of mortuary urns,
oracle bones and ritual bronzes furnish background for development of
religiousbeliefs and practices recorded
in the Confucian Classics.
For ChineseTaoism,JapaneseShinto,
and Near Eastern Islam reliance is
more upon art and literary sources for
achievingthe synthesis.Aestheticforms
are abundant, however, and the loveliness of paintings, shrines, carven reliefs, temples and mosques comes out
well in the illustrations. This makes
more impressive the recounted traditions drawn from the Lao-tzu and
Chuang-tzu, the Kojiki and Nihongi,
the Qur'an and later Mohammedanhistory. The fortune of each religion is
traced through its successive epochs
clearly and succinctly. For the reader
the result is a satisfying sense of completeness in the over-all picture, even
when one realizes there is much more
to learn in detail on every topic.
Throughout his book Mr. Finegan
has been at pains to consult reliable
and recent sources for his data. These
are carefully indicatedin footnotesand
are valuable guides to further reading.
ARCHAEOLOGY

Archaeology Magazine - March 1953

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