[3] "Ritual and magic were formerly part of everyday life, but by association with fantasy fiction and occultism they have now acquired an aura of sensationalism that has discouraged investigation.

In spite of the great interest of this aspect of human behaviour, no synthesis has hitherto been made of the considerable information that is available from archaeological and historical sources, except within a few very restricted fields.

He contrasts this view with that of those archaeologists studying the Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain, who have widely accepted the ritual uses of chambered tombs and stone circles.

Offering a case study, he describes how Neolithic stone axes were adopted as amulets or talismans in the later Roman Iron Age onward in Britain, and that as such archaeologists should expect to find them in non-prehistoric contexts.

Rounding off the chapter, Merrifield examines magical items that have been intentionally placed in the walls, chimneys and roofs of buildings in Britain, in particular the widespread use of dead cats and old shoes.

Highlighting archaeological examples from the ancient Graeco-Roman world, he looks at inscriptions on lead tablets that were buried in cemeteries and amphitheatres, both places associated with the dead.

He rounds off the chapter with an examination of Post-Medieval curses and charms containing the written word, citing examples that have been found by archaeologists across Britain, hidden inside various parts of buildings.

Proceeding to focus on 19th- and 20th-century examples, Merrifield discusses the case of James Murrell, an English cunning man, and his involvement with the witch bottle tradition.

He highlighted how the work would be of benefit to folklorists, by putting various charms then in museum exhibits – such as dead cats, buried shoes and witch bottles – into the wider context of ritual activity.

"[14] In a short review for The Antiquaries Journal, the historian of religion Hilda Ellis Davidson praised the "cautious and balanced arguments" of Merrifield's work.

She opined that it should be read by every archaeologist as a corrective to what she thought was their widespread ignorance of folklore, noting that the wide array of evidence for ritual behaviour in the archaeological record would surprise "many readers".

[15] Writing Merrifield's obituary for The Independent newspaper, the Museum of London archaeologist Peter Marsden described The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic as "a masterly study of an unusual subject.

"[1] The importance of Merrifield's book was discussed by the Englishman Brian Hoggard, an independent researcher who authored a 2004 academic paper entitled "The archaeology of counter-witchcraft and popular magic".