Archaeologists are increasingly interested in studying the role emotions have played in past human decision making. This paper demonstrates how awe is under-appreciated within archaeology despite it being uniquely available to archaeological research given its connection to monumental architecture and communal rituals. Archaeological engagement with awe is particularly important as psychological research has demonstrated that it is a prosocial emotion that leads to the creation of more extensive and stronger social bonds between individuals. A novel interpretation of Poverty Point (USA) is provided to illustrate the importance of studying awe, as this massive earthwork site was built more than 3000 years ago through large-scale gatherings. Reconsidered as a place of awe, Poverty Point is recast as an emotional locale where larger social and cultural identities and relationships were formed.

考古学家越来越有兴趣研究情绪在过去人类决策中所扮演的角色。本文展示了敬畏在考古学中是如何被低估的，尽管鉴于它与纪念性建筑和公共仪式的联系，它对于考古研究来说是独一无二的。考古学中的敬畏尤为重要，因为心理学研究表明，敬畏是一种亲社会情感，可以在个体之间建立更广泛、更牢固的社会联系。对贫困点（美国）进行了新颖的解读，以说明研究敬畏的重要性，因为这个巨大的土方工地是 3000 多年前通过大规模集会建造的。贫困点被重新视为一个令人敬畏的地方，被重新塑造为一个情感场所，在这里形成了更大的社会和文化身份和关系。