No abstract

This paper deals with the archaeological manifestations of religious activities of the Central European Celts. Until recently, the rectangular enclosures in Central Europe ('Viereckschanzen 7 were considered solely as sanctuaries, though present evidence allows other interpretations of the function of these sites as well. f i e criteria for recognizing the wooden structures situated inside the enclosed areas as shrines are far from being unambiguous and in some cases a profane, i. e. non-religious purpose may be presumed. f i e questions put forward here were prompted by the find of an unusual structure in the enclosure of MSeckL Zehrovice in Bohemia. VENCLOVA. N. 1991: Structure et fonction de I'enclos de MSecke iehrovice, in: J-L. Brunaux (ed.): Les sanctuaires celtiques et leurs rapports avec le monde mediterranten, (Paris Dossiers de Protohistoire 3), 139-145. WAIT, G.A. 1985: Ritual and religion in Iron Age Britain (Oxford, B.A.R. British Series 149). WALDHAUSER. J . 1970-7 1 : Vyzkum Cty~helnikovych valu a IatknskCho sidliitt! u Markvartic (o.JiCin) v roce 1969, Sbornik Ceskoslovenskt spoleEnosti archeologickt 50, 110-121. RGK 64, 5-19. 4, 61-88. OXFORDJOURNALOF ARCHAEOLOGY 0 Basil Blackwell Ltd. 1993 65 CELTIC SHRINES IN CENTRAL EUROPE WALDHAUSER. I. 1975: Die keltischen Viereckschanzen in Bohmen, Alba Regia XIV, 235-244. WALDHAUSER, J . 1987: Soziale Schichtung innerhalb der spathallstatt-und friihlathezeitlichen Siedlung Radovesice 2 3 in Bohmen, Archuofogisches Korrespondenzbla f t 17, 205-2 12. WALDHAUSER. J. 1989: Etat de la recherche sur les enceintes quadrilatCrales IatCniennes (dites Viereckschanzen) en BohEme, in: Buchsenschutz, O., Olivier, L. (eds.): Les Viereckschanzen er les enceintes quadrilafirales en Europe celtique (Paris, Errance), 43-55. 66 WILSON. D.R. 1975: Romano-Celtic temple architecture, Journal of British Archaeological Association (3rd Series), 38, 3-27. WILSON, D.R. 1980: Romano-Celtic temple architecture: how much do we actually know?, in: Rodwell, W.J. (ed.): Temples, churches, and religion: recent research in Roman Brirain (Oxford, B.A.R. British Series 77), 5-30. ZIPPELIUs. A . 1953: Das vormittelalterliche dreischiffige Hallenhaus in Mitteleuropa, Bonner Jahrbiicher 153, 13-45. OXFORDJOURNALOF ARCHAEOLOGY 0 Basil Blackwell Ltd. 1993

Figure 3Prague. Eye bead with prunts (yellow with blue-white eyes and yellow prunts). Vicenice. National museum,

Academic discourse has its own norms related to the national culture, but also to the academic community concerned. In a linguistic classification, discourse communities are being formed with their own conventions and their own academic languages, rhetoric and intellectual styles, sharing paradigms, goals and methods. A positive aspect of discourse communities is that they spread across different national languages and across different -mainstream and minor -communities (using the language of the leading group of researchers). Can this be seen in present-day archaeology, and can it bridge the gap in communication between mainstreams and minorities?