Archaeology of Cult in Ancient Thrace: The Transition from Hellenistic to Roman Period

International audienceRoman period is characterized in Ancient Thrace by a bounty of written and iconographic sources documenting the cultic life of the region, contrasting with the previous periods. Hence, documents about the Roman period have often been used to describe the Hellenistic or even Classical periods. Although this reversed historical reading can be considered in numerous fields as simple anachronism, it is usually accepted in the field of religion, because its object is considered as a stable, conservative social structure. Nonetheless, the relevance of this lecture might be questioned in the context of the archaeology of cult in Ancient Thrace, in the end of the Hellenistic period. Indeed, the population of this region is under the influence of several powers, each potentially proposing a different religious system. Also, it might be relevant to take into account the diversity of settlements and social groups to analyse cult practice and its permanence