templespecific

Templespecific is an adjective used in religious studies, archaeology, and art history to designate features, practices, or artifacts that pertain to a particular temple rather than to temples in general or to a broader tradition. The term is commonly written as temple-specific in scholarly writing, but it may appear as templespecific in databases, catalogs, or metadata fields.

Applications include temple-specific liturgy and rites that are performed only at a given temple, temple-specific iconography and architectural elements that reference a local patron or founder, and inscriptions or dedicatory texts tied to that temple. In art history, temple-specific works may reflect local cults, donor influence, or regional stylistic variants that distinguish one temple's program from another.

In archaeology and epigraphy, temple-specific material remains—such as votive offerings, inscriptions naming the temple, and construction phases—help researchers reconstruct local religious economies and devotional networks. The analysis of templespecific evidence often requires careful dating, contextual study, and comparisons with pan-temple or pan-regional traditions to separate local adaptation from broader patterns.

Because the term is not universally standardized, usages vary. When documenting sources or databases, clearly defining temple-specific criteria helps maintain consistency across studies.