Reconstructing Religious Rituals in Roman Waterscapes and Beyond

In the popular imagination, Roman religion often conjures up images of grand temples, elaborate processions, and impressive sacrifices, especially in the Imperial period. But what of more 'mundane' religious experience? This talk, employing the approaches of lived ancient religion and sensory archaeology, seeks to make the case for understanding ancient Roman religious experience that is either ephemeral or under-studied, paying close attention to folks who were of non-elite status. To do so, a variety of evidence, from the built environment of sanctuaries and votive objects, is employed to reconstruct religious rituals in Roman religion in water-related contexts, which, in turn, highlight notions of the blending of cultural identities, connectivity, and even the souvenir market throughout the Roman Empire.