Presentation Year

2019

Depreciated Participant

Kelly HughesAnthropologyUndergraduate Student

College or Department

Short Description of your Research or Creative Project (700 characters or less)

I investigated the role of reciprocity in sacrificial rites of Iron Age Ireland through literature review of three well-documented bog bodies: Clonycavan Man, Gallagh Man, and Oldcroghan Man. I hypothesized that the elite status of these men made them valuable as sacrificial offerings. Literature indicates their high status as well as the ritual nature of their deaths and deposition. Sacrificial ritual establishes reciprocity between mortals and the divine. Reciprocity is a universal social phenomenon which creates a network of mutual obligation. The people of Iron Age Ireland used high-value offerings in sacrificial ritual as a means of obtaining high-value returns from their deities.

Permission to Publish Work

Yes

Node ID

602

Page Classification