The thematic session of this year's ‘Metal Ages' colloquium, co-organized by the UISPP’s Scientific Commission ‘Metal Ages in Europe and the Mediterranean’ and the Archaeology department at the University of Graz, will focus on sanctuaries and ritual practices of the Chalcolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age in Europe and the Mediterranean, as vital elements for our understanding of the cultural, spiritual, and social dimensions of past societies.

Sanctuaries in prehistory and protohistory served as focal points for communication with the divine, fostering community identity and cohesion through shared practices such as sacrifices, feasts, and votive offerings. Examining these practices allows archaeologists to reconstruct belief systems and societal structures, offering insights into how communities and individuals navigated their relationship with the natural and supernatural worlds. Rituals also reveal universal human concerns—such as fertility, death, and cosmological order—while showcasing the creativity and symbolic complexity of prehistoric cultures.

Apart from papers and posters dealing with this main theme, we also invite contributions on current research to the general session of the colloquium from any interested colleagues working in the periods concerned. Papers or posters in the general session may deal with any aspect of the archaeology of the Metal Ages in Europe and the Mediterranean.

See you in Graz!