Ephemeral Rituals and Urban Timescapes: Family Ties and Object Biography at the Asklepieia of Epidauros and Pergamon

Sanctuaries dedicated to Asklepios, the Greek god of healing, functioned as powerful urban microcosms that reinforced socio-political hierarchies through material culture. This study reveals how family narratives were embedded in these sacred spaces at Epidaurus and Pergamon during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods (c. 300 BC – AD 200), creating a 'timescape' that preserved social structures over generations. By analyzing private dedications, decrees, and architecture, researchers demonstrate how these sanctuaries, despite being peripheral to urban cores, projected cohesion and maintained social relations on an urban level. The approach leverages the concept of object agency to interpret material culture, offering insights into the enduring impact of ritual practices on city dynamics.

Schievink, P., & Williamson, C. (2025). Ephemeral Rituals and Urban Timescapes: Family Ties and Object Biography at the Asklepieia of Epidauros and Pergamon. Journal of Urban Archaeology, 12(1), 71–102. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.jua.5.151428