Preliminary Material /C. J. Bleeker -- L'initiation et le monde moderne /M. Eliade -- Some Introductory Remarks on the Significance of Initiation /C. J. Bleeker -- Terminologie bambara concernant l'initiation /D. Zahan -- Die Sprache von Zuyua als Initiationsmittel /Günter Lanczkowski -- The Significance of Time in some Ancient Initiatory Rituals /S. G. F. Brandon -- Initiation in Ancient Egypt /C. J. Bleeker -- Voraussetzungen der Einweihung in Eleusis /K. Kerényi -- "Le Secret Central de l'initiation aux mysteres d'Eleusis” /Maurice Mehauden -- Initiation in later Hinduism according to Tantric Texts /D. J. Hoens -- Dīkṣā /A. Basu -- Informal Initiation Among Hindus and Moslems /Henry H. Presler -- Initiation in the Shugendo: the Passage through the Ten States of Existence /Carmen Blacker -- L'initiation mazdéenne /J. Duchesne-Guillemin -- Pour une Etude de l'initiation dans l'ancien Israel /André Caquot -- Qumran und die Zwölf /David Flusser -- Initiation et mystère dans Joseph et Aséneth /Marc Philonenko -- Initiation, Mystères, gnose /U. Bianchi -- New Testament Baptism. An External or Internal Rite? /R. A. Barclay -- John the Baptist in Christianized Gnosticism /Leander E. Keck -- Conditions of Membership of the Islamic Community /W. Montgomery Watt -- The Initiation Ceremony of the Bektashis /Helmer Ringgren -- La signification psychologique de l'ésotérisme /Edmond Rochedieu -- Initiation and the Paradox of Power: a Sociological Approach /E. M. Mendelson -- Initiation et histoire /A. Brelich -- Religion als Einweihung /Anton Antweiler -- Einweihung und spirituelle Nachfolge /Matthias Vereno -- Das Fasten als Initiationsritus /Peter Gerlitz -- Some Reflections on the Rites of Initiation /Geo Widengren.

This volume draws attention to the importance of pottery evidence in evaluating archaeological material from Thrace. The volume considers the informative value of pottery in tracing cultural and political phases, by providing us with important data about production centres, commercial relations, daily life, religious rituals and burial customs.