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The 13th Tablet
By Alex Mitchell. 2012
Iraq 2004 The war on terror rages on and as lawlessness escalates in Iraq looters are hitting…
the museums Mina Osman a spirited young American archaeologist of Iraqi descent appalled at the loss of her parents heritage heads to the University of Mosul to help source Iraq s antiquities While reprimanding one of her students for conspiring with the looters a cuneiform tablet dating back three thousand years is handed over for restitution The tablet holds within it a profound secret about the primordial flood described in the Gilgamesh epic What begins as a straightforward translation of an ancient text triggers a series of disruptive and life-threatening events A chase without limits ensues which takes the savvy and adventurous Mina and Jack a handsome ex-US Army Major from Mosul to Safed and from Cambridge to Phuket in the midst of the tsunami cataclysm Alex Mitchell is an honorary researcher at the Institute of Archaeology Oxford University Alex is working on two sequels to The Thirteenth Tablet which will take Mina Osman to China India and Greece with a climax in North AmericaThe griffin and the dinosaur: how Adrienne Mayor discovered a fascinating link between myth and science
By Marc Aronson, Adrienne Mayor. 2015
Traces the research scientist co-author's explorations in Greece and the Gobi Desert for the origins of the mythical griffin, relating…
the story of the ancient Scythians and the griffins that were said to have guarded their treasure. Grades 2-4. 2015.The Chora of Croton 1: The Neolithic Settlement at Capo Alfiere
By Jon Morter. 2010
It provides comprehensive documentation of the economy, material culture, and way of life in the central Mediterranean in the sixth…
and fifth millennia BC. Most notable are the remains of a wattle-and-daub hut enclosed within a massive stone wall. Unique for this area, this well-preserved structure may have been used for special purposes such as ritual, as well as for habitation. The presence of Stentinello wares shows that the range of this pottery type extended further east than previously thought and casts new light on the development of ceramics in the area.The Caddo Nation: Archaeological & Ethnohistoric Perspectives
By Perttula, Timothy K.. 1992
"The Caddo Nation" investigates the early contacts between the Caddoan peoples of the present-day Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas region…
and Europeans, including the Spanish, French, and some Euro-Americans. Perttula's study explores Caddoan cultural change from the perspectives of both archaeological data and historical, ethnographic, and archival records. The work focuses on changes from A.D. 1520 to ca. A.D. 1800 and challenges many long-standing assumptions about the nature of these changes.Bridging the Gaps
By Peter Kroefges, Danny Zborover. 2015
Bridging the Gaps: Integrating Archaeology and History in Oaxaca, Mexico does just that: it bridges the gap between archaeology and…
history of the Precolumbian, Colonial, and Republican eras of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, a cultural area encompassing several of the longest-enduring literate societies in the world.Fourteen case studies from an interdisciplinary group of archaeologists, anthropologists, ethnohistorians, and art historians consciously compare and contrast changes and continuities in material culture before and after the Spanish conquest, in Prehispanic and Colonial documents, and in oral traditions rooted in the present but reflecting upon the deep past. Contributors consider both indigenous and European perspectives while exposing and addressing the difficulties that arise from the application of this conjunctive approach.Inspired by the late Dr. Bruce E. Byland's work in the Mixteca, which exemplified the union of archaeological and historical evidence and inspired new generations of scholars, Bridging the Gaps promotes the practice of integrative studies to explore the complex intersections between social organization and political alliances, religion and sacred landscape, ethnic identity and mobility, colonialism and resistance, and territoriality and economic resources.Ancient Zapotec Religion
By Michael Lind. 2015
Ancient Zapotec Religion is the first comprehensive study of Zapotec religion as it existed in the southern Mexican state of…
Oaxaca on the eve of the Spanish Conquest. Author Michael Lind brings a new perspective, focusing not on underlying theological principles but on the material and spatial expressions of religious practice.Using sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spanish colonial documents and archaeological findings related to the time period leading up to the Spanish Conquest, he presents new information on deities, ancestor worship and sacred bundles, the Zapotec cosmos, the priesthood, religious ceremonies and rituals, the nature of temples, the distinctive features of the sacred and solar calendars, and the religious significance of the murals of Mitla--the most sacred and holy center. He also shows how Zapotec religion served to integrate Zapotec city-state structure throughout the valley of Oaxaca, neighboring mountain regions, and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.Ancient Zapotec Religion is the first in-depth and interdisciplinary book on the Zapotecs and their religious practices and will be of great interest to archaeologists, epigraphers, historians, and specialists in Native American, Latin American, and religious studies.In the Realm of Nachan Kan
By Marilyn Masson. 2000
"The prevailing view of the lowland Maya during the Postclassic period (A.D. 1050-1500) has been one of an impoverished, ""degenerated""…
society devoid of cultural accomplishment. However, Marilyn A. Masson offers a fresh interpretation of this society as one that represented a complex, sophisticated, extensive organization of semiautonomous units that were closely integrated, yet embraced a decentralized political economy.In the Realm of Nachan Kan opens a window on Postclassic Maya patterns of cultural development and organization through a close examination of the small rural island of Laguna de On, a location that was distant from the governing political centers of the day. Using diachronic analysis of regional settlement patterns, ceramic traditions, household and ritual features, and artifacts from the site, Masson tracks developmental changes throughout the Postclassic period. These data suggest that affluent patterns of economic production and local and long-distance exchange were established within northern Belize by the eleventh century, and continued to develop, virtually uninterrupted, until the time of Spanish arrival.In addition, Masson analyzes contemporary political and religious artistic traditions at the temples of Mayapan, Tulum, and Santa Rita to provide a regional context for the changes in community patterns at Laguna de On. These cultural changes, she maintains, are closely correlated with the rise of Mayapan to power and participation of sites like Laguna de On in a pan-lowland economic and ritual interaction sphere. Offering a thoroughly new interpretation of Postclassic Mayan civilization. In the Realm of Nachan Kan is a must for scholars of Mesoamerican history and culture."Art and Risk in Ancient Yoruba
By Suzanne Preston Blier. 2015
In this book, Suzanne Preston Blier examines the intersection of art, risk and creativity in early African arts from the…
Yoruba center of Ife and the striking ways that ancient Ife artworks inform society, politics, history and religion. Yoruba art offers a unique lens into one of Africa's most important and least understood early civilizations, one whose historic arts have long been of interest to local residents and Westerners alike because of their tour-de-force visual power and technical complexity. Among the complementary subjects explored are questions of art making, art viewing and aesthetics in the famed ancient Nigerian city-state, as well as the attendant risks and danger assumed by artists, patrons and viewers alike in certain forms of subject matter and modes of portrayal, including unique genres of body marking, portraiture, animal symbolism and regalia. This volume celebrates art, history and the shared passion and skill with which the remarkable artists of early Ife sought to define their past for generations of viewers.Bioarchaeology
By Clark Spencer Larsen. 2001
These important essays address the biological consequences of the arrival of Europeans in the New World and on the lifeways…
of native populations following contact in the late 16th century. Moving away from monocausal explanations of population change, they maintain that disease should be viewed as only a facet of a complex problem and that issues relating to diet, nutrition, activity, the work environment, and social and political change are equally important.The Roman Forum
By Gilbert J. Gorski, James E. Packer. 2015
The Roman Forum was in many ways the heart of the Roman Empire. Today, the Forum exists in a fragmentary…
state, having been destroyed and plundered by barbarians, aristocrats, citizens and priests over the past two millennia. Enough remains, however, for archaeologists to reconstruct its spectacular buildings and monuments. This richly illustrated volume provides an architectural history of the central section of the Roman Forum during the Empire (31 BCE–476 CE), from the Temple of Julius Caesar to the monuments on the slope of the Capitoline hill. Bringing together state-of-the-art technology in architectural illustration and the expertise of a prominent Roman archaeologist, this book offers a unique reconstruction of the Forum, providing architectural history, a summary of each building's excavation and research, scaled digital plans, elevations, and reconstructed aerial images that not only shed light on the Forum's history but vividly bring it to life. With this book, scholars, students, architects and artists will be able to visualize for the first time since antiquity the character, design and appearance of the famous heart of ancient Rome.Excavating Nations
By J. Laurence Hare. 2015
Excavating Nations traces the history of archaeology and museums in the contested German-Danish borderlands from the emergence of antiquarianism in…
the early nineteenth-century to German-Danish reconciliation after the Second World War. J. Laurence Hare reveals how the border regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Sønderjylland were critical both to the emergence of professional prehistoric archaeology and to conceptions of German and Scandinavian origins.At the center of this process, Hare argues, was a cohort of amateur antiquarians and archaeologists who collaborated across the border to investigate the ancient past but were also complicit in its appropriation for nationalist ends. Excavating Nations follows the development of this cross-border network over four generations, through the unification of Germany and two world wars. Using correspondence and site reports from museum, university, and state archives across Germany and Denmark, Hare shows how these scholars negotiated their simultaneous involvement in nation-building projects and in a transnational academic community.Into the Ocean
By Kristjan Ahronson. 2015
That Gaelic monasticism flourished in the early medieval period is well established. The "Irish School" penetrated large areas of Europe…
and contemporary authors describe North Atlantic travels and settlements. Across Scotland and beyond, Celtic-speaking communities spread into the wild and windswept north, marking hundreds of Atlantic settlements with carved and rock-cut sculpture. They were followed in the Viking Age by Scandinavians who dominated the Atlantic waters and settled the Atlantic rim.With Into the Ocean, Kristján Ahronson makes two dramatic claims: that there were people in Iceland almost a century before Viking settlers first arrived c. AD 870, and that there was a tangible relationship between the early Christian "Irish" communities of the Atlantic zone and the Scandinavians who followed them.Ahronson uses archaeological, paleoecological, and literary evidence to support his claims, analysing evidence ranging from pap place names in the Scottish islands to volcanic airfall in Iceland. An interdisciplinary analysis of a subject that has intrigued scholars for generations, Into the Ocean will challenge the assumptions of anyone interested in the Atlantic branch of the Celtic world.Mummies, Disease & Ancient Cultures
By Aidan Cockburn, Eve Cockcburn, Theodore A. Reyman. 1998
To look upon a mummy is to come face to face with our past. This book presents the story of…
mummification as a practice worldwide. Mummies have been found on every continent, some deliberately preserved by use of a variety of complex techniques (as with the ancient Egyptians), others accidentally by dry baking heat, intense cold and ice, or by tanning in peat bogs. By examining these preserved humans, we can get profound insights into the lives, health, culture and deaths of individuals and populations long gone. The first edition of this book was acclaimed as a classic. This readable new edition builds on these foundations, investigating the fantastic new findings in South America, Europe and the Far East. It will be a must-have volume for anyone working in paleopathology and a fascinating read for all those interested in anthropology, archaeology, and the history of medicine.Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs
By James P Allen. 2010
Middle Egyptian introduces the reader to the writing system of ancient Egypt and the language of hieroglyphic texts. It contains…
twenty-six lessons, exercises (with answers), a list of hieroglyphic signs, and a dictionary. It also includes a series of twenty-five essays on the most important aspects of ancient Egyptian history, society, religion and literature. The combination of grammar lessons and cultural essays allows users to not only read hieroglyphic texts but also to understand them, providing readers with the foundation to understand texts on monuments and to read great works of ancient Egyptian literature in the original text. This second edition contains revised exercises and essays, providing an up to date account of current research and discoveries. New illustrations enhance discussions and examples. These additions combine with the previous edition to create a complete grammatical description of the classical language of ancient Egypt for specialists in linguistics and other fields.Mortuary Landscapes of North Africa
By David L. Stone, Lea Stirling. 2007
Cemetery and landscape studies have been hallmarks of North African archaeology for more than one hundred years. Mortuary Landscapes of…
North Africa is the first book to combine these two fields by considering North African cemeteries within the context of their wider landscapes. This unique perspective allows for new interpretations of notions of identity, community, imperial influence, and sacred space. Based on a wealth of material research from current fieldwork, this collection of essays investigates how North African funerary monuments acted as regional boundaries, markers of identity and status, and barometers of cultural change. The essays cover a broad range in terms of space and time - from southern Libya to eastern Algeria, and from the seventh century BCE to the seventh century CE. A comprehensive introduction explains the importance of the 'landscape perspective' that these studies bring to North African funerary monuments, while individual case-studies address such topics as the African way of death among the Garamantes, the ritual reasons for the location of certain Early Christian tombs, Punic burials, Roman cupula tombs, and the effects of rapid state formation and imperial incorporation on tomb builders. Unique in both scope and perspective, this volume will prove invaluable to a cross-section of archaeological scholars.Method and Theory in Paleoethnobotany
By Jade D'Alpoim Guedes, John M. Marston, Christina Warinner. 2014
Paleoethnobotany, the study of archaeological plant remains, is poised at the intersection of the study of the past and concerns…
of the present, including agricultural decision making, biodiversity, and global environmental change, and has much to offer to archaeology, anthropology, and the interdisciplinary study of human relationships with the natural world. Method and Theory in Paleoethnobotany demonstrates those connections and highlights the increasing relevance of the study of past human-plant interactions for understanding the present and future.A diverse and highly regarded group of scholars reference a broad array of literature from around the world as they cover their areas of expertise in the practice and theory of paleoethnobotany--starch grain analysis, stable isotope analysis, ancient DNA, digital data management, and ecological and postprocessual theory.The only comprehensive edited volume focusing on method and theory to appear in the last twenty-five years, Method and Theory in Paleoethnobotany addresses the new areas of inquiry that have become central to contemporary archaeological debates, as well as the current state of theoretical, methodological, and empirical work in paleoethnobotany.Archaeology of Wak'as
By Tamara L. Bray. 2015
In this edited volume, Andean wak'as--idols, statues, sacred places, images, and oratories--play a central role in understanding Andean social philosophies,…
cosmologies, materialities, temporalities, and constructions of personhood. Top Andean scholars from a variety of disciplines cross regional, theoretical, and material boundaries in their chapters, offering innovative methods and theoretical frameworks for interpreting the cultural particulars of Andean ontologies and notions of the sacred.Wak'as were understood as agentive, nonhuman persons within many Andean communities and were fundamental to conceptions of place, alimentation, fertility, identity, and memory and the political construction of ecology and life cycles. The ethnohistoric record indicates that wak'as were thought to speak, hear, and communicate, both among themselves and with humans. In their capacity as nonhuman persons, they shared familial relations with members of the community, for instance, young women were wed to local wak'as made of stone and wak'as had sons and daughters who were identified as the mummified remains of the community's revered ancestors.Integrating linguistic, ethnohistoric, ethnographic, and archaeological data, The Archaeology of Wak'as advances our understanding of the nature and culture of wak'as and contributes to the larger theoretical discussions on the meaning and role of-"the sacred" in ancient contexts.Funerary Practices and Models in the Ancient Andes
By Lawrence Owens. 2015
"This edited volume focuses on the funerary archaeology of the Pan-Andean area in the pre-Hispanic period. The contributors examine the…
treatment of the dead and provide an understanding of how these ancient groups coped with mortality, as well as the ways in which they strove to overcome the effects of death. The contributors also present previously unpublished discoveries and employ a range of academic and analytical approaches that have rarely--if ever--been utilised in South America before. The book covers the Formative Period to the end of the Inca Empire, and the chapters together comprise a state-of-the-art summary of all the best research on Andean funerary archaeology currently being carried out around the globe"--Funerary Practices and Models in the Ancient Andes
By Peter Eeckhout, Lawrence S. Owens. 2015
"This edited volume focuses on the funerary archaeology of the Pan-Andean area in the pre-Hispanic period. The contributors examine the…
treatment of the dead and provide an understanding of how these ancient groups coped with mortality, as well as the ways in which they strove to overcome the effects of death. The contributors also present previously unpublished discoveries and employ a range of academic and analytical approaches that have rarely--if ever--been utilised in South America before. The book covers the Formative Period to the end of the Inca Empire, and the chapters together comprise a state-of-the-art summary of all the best research on Andean funerary archaeology currently being carried out around the globe"--Forgotten Islands of Indonesia
By Joss Van Dijk, Nico Dejonge. 1995
This beautiful book contains over 170 unique photographs and pictures of one of the most interesting but least well known…
cultures in the Indonesian Archipelago.The traditional art of Maluku Tenggara, the Southeast Moluccas, is among the most sophisticated and expressive in the world. Simple tools were used to create masterpieces in wood, stone, textiles and precious metals, while the plaited work and earthenware of these islands are also of the very highest quality.the colonial period plunged the region into hopeless isolation. During the harsh rule of the Dutch many traditional woks of art, especially ancestor statues, were destroyed. Later, collectors stripped the islands of their masterpieces and the culture of Maluka Tenggara was forgotten.Forgotten Islands of Indonesia presents a unique survey of the finest examples of Southeast Moluccan art. This volume contains many photographs and descriptions which have never before been published. Set against the cultural background and supplemented by rare photographs taken in the field, the material culture of Maluku Tenggara, which is regarded as one of the most fascinating areas of Indonesia, is presented here comprehensively for the first time.