Religion may be defined as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs," [1] whereas ritual is "an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.
The archaeology of religion also incorporates related anthropological or religious concepts and terms such as magic, tradition, symbolism, and the sacred.
In addition to recovering, recording, and analyzing material culture, historical archaeologists use archives, oral histories, ethnohistorical accounts.
Researchers read texts critically, emphasizing the historical context of the documents (especially regarding underrepresented peoples whose voices may be distorted or missing) in order to better understand religious practices that may have been discouraged or even severely punished.
For example, our understanding of the religious practice of enslaved peoples in the United States (e.g. Leone and Frye 2001,[29] Fennell 2007 [30]) has increased dramatically thanks to research in historical archaeology.
Theories of materiality [31] and landscape [32] serve to connect human activities, experiences, and behaviors to social practices, including religion.