The Little Things Aren’t Little: Approaching Religious Experience in the Ancient Mediterranean through Small Finds

Abstract This article introduces a special section focused on the archaeological study of small finds and their significance in understanding religious experience in the ancient Mediterranean. Challenging the historical tendency to dismiss these objects as cheap or non-functional, the introduction posits that small, portable objects offer a more intimate and nuanced view of ancient “lived religion” than monumental remains do. Theoretical frameworks such as “investment-labour,” the “use-life biographies” of objects, and material entanglement allow rich explorations of how these small items functioned. Thus, these “little things aren't little,” and analyzing them provides crucial micro-scale insights into the affective, performative, and processual nature of ancient religion. The following studies demonstrate how small objects can reveal the complex social, personal, and religious meanings embedded in their creation, use, inscription, and deposition.