Duration: 2000 to 2010

The Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum (ThesCRA) is the first comprehensive index of ancient sources on the religions and cults of the Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans. It has created a new basis for archaeological, cultural, and social history research in the field of ancient religion, which has recently been increasingly recognized as a fundamental phenomenon of ancient societies. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, evidence of all kinds was considered equally: works of ancient literature, inscriptions, depictions of cult scenes in the visual arts, and finds and findings from excavations – from individual vessels to the plans of entire sanctuaries. The documents and their evaluation were published in a thematically structured series of individual volumes. At the same time, an international collaboration established a database that provides significantly more material than the book publication, but can only be used effectively in conjunction with the accompanying commentary. The project was supported by a total of 38 countries.

The Heidelberg research center has produced a volume on cult instruments and implements, while the Würzburg research center, in collaboration with a working group in Perugia, has produced a two-volume work on sanctuaries and places of worship. For the final volumes, which provide a synthesis of the functions of ancient religion, the German working groups prepared contributions on the cults of the stages of life, social groups, and public life. In addition, the Heidelberg and Würzburg research centers contributed to the database by entering all the evidence collected for their contributions.

Chairman of the Commission

Professor Stefan Maul

head of research

Prof. Dr. Tonio Hölscher

female employees

• Prof. Dr. Ingrid Krauskopf (Heidelberg),
• Dr. Anneliese Kossatz-Deißmann (Würzburg)