Moving down the mountain: pathways for sacred landscape transformation at ancient Epidaurus and Nemea

Sacred mountains retained their spiritual significance even after worship shifted to monumental sanctuaries on flat ground, revealing the enduring power of collective memory and sensory experience. The study compares Epidaurus and Nemea in Greece’s Peloponnese, tracing how attention moved from mountain peaks to new temenoi below while mountains remained visually and culturally dominant. Using archaeological data, ancient texts, tourist reviews, and GIS analysis, researchers quantified the sanctuaries' visual impact against topography. This challenges assumptions about landscape transformation, showing that sacred landmarks persist through human perception rather than physical presence alone.

Susmann, N. M. (2021). Moving down the mountain: pathways for sacred landscape transformation at ancient Epidaurus and Nemea. Time and Mind, 14(1), 73–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/1751696x.2021.1891367