eTheses Repository - University of Birmingham

There has been much anthropological and ethnographic work undertaken on the position of
sacred places, with evidence from across the world showing broad similarities.
Archaeological evidence also indicates that types of places chosen as sacred sites incline
towards particular locations, suggesting that such decisions are neither historically nor
culturally significant but indicative of a general human inclination (Carmichael et al. 1994,
p.1). These are sites of natural features and include mountain peaks, springs, rivers, woods,
and caves, all features significant in many sites of religious significance in Arkadia. For
example, Asea-Ayios Elias is situated on a mountain peak (Forsen 1999), the Temple of
Athena Alea at Tegea is located by a spring (Østby 1994, p.46), Psophis-Ayios Petros is
located in a high place and close to a spring (Karadara 1988), and the possible shrine of
Hermes on Mount Kyllene is situated in a cave (Tausend 1999). It is largely due to these
factors that it was felt worthwhile to investigate further sites such as Vlakherna-Petra (case
study B).
This is not to say that all sacred places belong in such locations. The necessity of proximity
to population for religious places means that not all sacred places are located according to
natural features. Modern experience shows that this is not the case, although the gross
urbanisation so characteristic of modern society, both West and East, is peculiar to our times,
masking the ‘natural’ landscapes. However, although there are undoubtedly aspects of the
settings of modern religious buildings/spaces that are peculiarly modern, it is also true that
urbanisation and concentration of populations in one place in ancient contexts would have
increased the need for intra-urban sanctuaries, located for reasons other than natural features.
Nonetheless, the setting would still inform religious practice and sentiment as people used and
moved throughout the space. It has also been suggested that those settlements, which did not
develop an intra-urban temple, were short-lived (Snodgrass 1977; Mazarakis Ainian 1997).
On the other hand, many modern societies also have religious buildings located on sites of
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