> we don’t know if anything from archeology is “for ritual use (for real).”
I apologize for being unable resist thinking of a counterexample any
time someone makes a generalization. Would household utensils found in
a sealed burial chamber be a clear case of ritual use for real, or did
dead people in ancient times put them to some practical use we haven't
identified?
I do think people getting buried in clothing qualifies as ritualistic when the body was presented for an open casket funeral.
However, people still regularly get buried with their wedding rings or similar such items. Do you consider that behavior ritualistic, or just sentimental?
I can’t help but point out that “if you squint a little” is grounds for a great deal of debate. It’s exactly the kind of thinking that makes some sort of “ritual object (for real)” hard to distinguish even when actually living in the culture in question.
I apologize for being unable resist thinking of a counterexample any time someone makes a generalization. Would household utensils found in a sealed burial chamber be a clear case of ritual use for real, or did dead people in ancient times put them to some practical use we haven't identified?