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Archaeology of Religion: Cultures and their Beliefs in Worldwide Context
By Sharon R Steadman. 2009
Steadman fills an empty niche in the offerings on how archaeology interprets past religions with this useful textbook. The book…
includes case studies from around the world, from the study of Upper Paleolithic religions and of shamans in foraging societies to formal religious structures in advanced complex societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and the Andes. Steadman also includes key contemporary religions—Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, among others—to provide an historical and comparative context. This is an ideal text for a archaeology of religion courses and classes that include a significant component on “past religions,” as well as an excellent guide for general readers.If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge
By Marc Aronson, Mike Parker-Pearson. 2010
What are the secrets of the ancient stone circle? Were the carefully placed stones a burial site, an ancient calendar,…
a place of Druid worship. . . or even a site of sacrifice? World-renowned archaeologist Mike Parker-Pearson has spent the last seven years on a quest to answer these and many other questions. In If Stones Could Speak, award-winning author Marc Aronson joins the research crew and records their efforts to crack Stonehenge's secrets. National Geographic helped sponsor the Riverside archeological team's mission, and now young readers can journey behind the scenes to experience this groundbreaking story first-hand, through the eyes of the experts. Mike and his team have revolutionized our understanding of Stonehenge by exploring the surrounding landscape for clues about the stones -- an idea first suggested by a visitor from Madagascar. The results have been breathtaking: The team recently unearthed the largest Neolithic village ever found in England. Marc Aronson had total access to the site, the team, and their work over two seasons of digging and brings the inspirational story of the discoveries taking place at this World Historical Site to young readers. The informative and drama-driven text includes tales of dead bodies, cremations, feasting, and ancient rituals, as well as insights into the science of uncovering the ancient past. The expert text, stunning photography, and explanatory maps and illustrations will all help young readers see this ancient monument in totally new ways, and inspire future generations of archaeological explorers.Archaeological Field Schools: A Guide for Teaching in the Field
By Jane Eva Baxter. 2009
The field school is often described as a “rite of passage” among archaeologists. They are considered essential for the appropriate…
training of students for academic or professional archaeological careers, and are perhaps the only universal experience in an increasingly diverse array of archaeological career paths. Jane Baxter’s practical guide about how to run a successful field school offers archaeologists ways to maximize the educational and training benefits of these experiences. She presents a wide range of pedagogical theories and techniques that can be used to place field schools in an educational, as well as an archaeological, context. Baxter then offers a “how to” guide for the design of field schools, including logistical, legal, and personnel issues as well as strategies for integrating research and teaching in the field. Replete with checklists, forms, and cogent examples, the author gives directors and staff a set of “best practices” for designing and implementing a school.Most Americans agree that our heritage—both natural and cultural—should be protected. Then why does development run rampant, aided—rather than limited—by…
government inaction? Tom King has been a participant in and observer of this system for decades, as a government worker, heritage consultant, and advocate for local communities. In this hard-hitting critique of the heritage-industrial complex, King points the finger at watchdogs who instead serve as advocates, unintelligible (often contradictory) regulations, disinterested government employees and power-seeking agencies, all of whom conspire to keep our heritage unprotected. His solution to this crisis will be uncomfortable to many in power, but may help save more of our cultural and natural treasures.As the politico-economic exploits of vikings in and around the Frankish realm remain, to a considerable extent, obscured by the…
constraints of a fragmentary and biased corpus of (near-)contemporary evidence, this volume approaches the available interdisciplinary data on a cumulative and conceptual level, allowing overall spatiotemporal patterns of viking activity to be detected and defined – and thereby challenging the notion that these movements were capricious, haphazard, and gratuitous in character. Set against a backdrop of continuous commerce and knowledge exchange, this overarching survey demonstrates the existence of a relatively uniform, sequential framework of wealth extraction, encampment, and political engagement, within which Scandinavian fleets operated as adaptable, ambulant polities – or ‘hydrarchies’. By delineating and visualising this framework, a four-phased conceptual development model of hydrarchic conduct and consequence is established, whose validity is substantiated by its application to a number of distinct regional case studies. The parameters of this abstract model affirm that Scandinavian movements across Francia were the result of prudent and expedient decision-making processes, contingent on exchanged intelligence, cumulative experience, and the ongoing individual and collective need for socioeconomic subsistence and enrichment. Monarchs and Hydrarchs will appeal to both students and specialists of the Viking Age, whilst serving as an equally valuable resource to those investigating early medieval Francia, Scandinavia, and the North Sea world as a whole.Life and Death on Mt. Everest: Sherpas and Himalayan Mountaineering
By Sherry B. Ortner. 1999
The Sherpas were dead, two more victims of an attempt to scale Mt. Everest. Members of a French climbing expedition,…
sensitive perhaps about leaving the bodies where they could not be recovered, rolled them off a steep mountain face. One body, however, crashed to a stop near Sherpas on a separate expedition far below. They stared at the frozen corpse, stunned. They said nothing, but an American climber observing the scene interpreted their thoughts: Nobody would throw the body of a white climber off Mt. Everest. For more than a century, climbers from around the world have journ-eyed to test themselves on Everest's treacherous slopes, enlisting the expert aid of the Sherpas who live in the area. Drawing on years of field research in the Himalayas, renowned anthropologist Sherry Ortner presents a compelling account of the evolving relationship between the mountaineers and the Sherpas, a relationship of mutual dependence and cultural conflict played out in an environment of mortal risk. Ortner explores this relationship partly through gripping accounts of expeditions--often in the climbers' own words--ranging from nineteenth-century forays by the British through the historic ascent of Hillary and Tenzing to the disasters described in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. She reveals the climbers, or "sahibs," to use the Sherpas' phrase, as countercultural romantics, seeking to transcend the vulgarity and materialism of modernity through the rigor and beauty of mountaineering. She shows how climbers' behavior toward the Sherpas has ranged from kindness to cruelty, from cultural sensitivity to derision. Ortner traces the political and economic factors that led the Sherpas to join expeditions and examines the impact of climbing on their traditional culture, religion, and identity. She examines Sherpas' attitude toward death, the implications of the shared masculinity of Sherpas and sahibs, and the relationship between Sherpas and the increasing number of women climbers. Ortner also tackles debates about whether the Sherpas have been "spoiled" by mountaineering and whether climbing itself has been spoiled by commercialism.Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations: From Prehistory To 640 Ce
By Ralph Mathisen. 2015
Challenging the stereotypes and myths that typically characterize students' understanding of antiquity, Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations: From Prehistory to 640 CE,…
Second Edition, focuses on continuity and connections, along with cultural diffusion and cultural diversity, to show how history is a cumulative process and that numerous similar themes recur in different times and places. The text also explores sensitive issues and debates including attitudes toward race, ethnicity, and tolerance; gender issues and roles; slavery; social mobility; religion; political evolution; the nature of government; and imperialism.Gems and Gemmology: An Introduction for Archaeologists, Art-Historians and Conservators (Short Introductions to Cultural Heritage Science)
By Peter Vandenabeele, Stefanos Karampelas, Lore Kiefert, Danilo Bersani. 2020
This book provides a lucid introduction to the basics of gemmology. It familiarizes archaeologists, art historians and conservators with the science…
of gemstones and allows them to understand the basic concepts of their provenance, typology and treatments.Which are the main types of gems? What treatments can be applied? How does one analyse gems? How can gems contribute to archaeometrical research?This volume is written by four experts in the fields of gemmology and archaeometry and addresses both students who need an introduction to this field and professionals who want to refresh their knowledge of the topic. This work is part of a series of introductory texts that deal with a broad range of materials-related topics in archaeometry.Places of Pain and Shame: Dealing with 'Difficult Heritage' (Key Issues in Cultural Heritage)
By William Logan, Keir Reeves. 2008
Places of Pain and Shame is a cross-cultural study of sites that represent painful and/or shameful episodes in a national…
or local community’s history, and the ways that government agencies, heritage professionals and the communities themselves seek to remember, commemorate and conserve these cases – or, conversely, choose to forget them. Such episodes and locations include: massacre and genocide sites, places related to prisoners of war, civil and political prisons, and places of ‘benevolent’ internment such as leper colonies and lunatic asylums. These sites bring shame upon us now for the cruelty and futility of the events that occurred within them and the ideologies they represented. They are however increasingly being regarded as ‘heritage sites’, a far cry from the view of heritage that prevailed a generation ago when we were almost entirely concerned with protecting the great and beautiful creations of the past, reflections of the creative genius of humanity rather than the reverse – the destructive and cruel side of history. Why has this shift occurred, and what implications does it have for professionals practicing in the heritage field? In what ways is this a ‘difficult’ heritage to deal with? This volume brings together academics and practitioners to explore these questions, covering not only some of the practical matters, but also the theoretical and conceptual issues, and uses case studies of historic places, museums and memorials from around the globe, including the United States, Northern Ireland, Poland, South Africa, China, Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Timor and Australia.Heritage Studies: Methods and Approaches
By Marie Louise Stig Sørensen, John Carman. 2008
This is the first volume specifically dedicated to the consolidation and clarification of Heritage Studies as a distinct field with…
its own means of investigation. It presents the range of methods that can be used and illustrates their application through case studies from different parts of the world, including the UK and USA. The challenge that the collection makes explicit is that Heritage Studies must develop a stronger recognition of the scope and nature of its data and a concise yet explorative understanding of its analytical methods. The methods considered fall within three broad categories: textual/discourse analysis, methods for investigating people’s attitudes and behaviour; and methods for exploring the material qualities of heritage. The methods discussed and illustrated range from techniques such as text analysis, interviews, participant observation, to semiotic analysis of heritage sites and the use of GIS. Each paper discusses the ways in which methods used in social analysis generally are explored and adapted to the specific demands that arise when applied to the investigation of heritage in its many forms. Heritage Studies is a seminal volume that will help to define the field. The global perspective and the shared focus upon the development of reflexive methodologies ensure that the volume explores these central issues in a manner that is simultaneously case-specific and of general relevance.New Heritage: New Media and Cultural Heritage
By Thomas Kvan, Yehuda Kalay, Janice Affleck. 2008
The use of new media in the service of cultural heritage is a fast growing field, known variously as virtual…
or digital heritage. New Heritage, under this denomination, broadens the definition of the field to address the complexity of cultural heritage such as the related social, political and economic issues. This book is a collection of 20 key essays, of authors from 11 countries, representing a wide range of professions including architecture, philosophy, history, cultural heritage management, new media, museology and computer science, which examine the application of new media to cultural heritage from a different points of view. Issues surrounding heritage interpretation to the public and the attempts to capture the essence of both tangible (buildings, monuments) and intangible (customs, rituals) cultural heritage are investigated in a series of innovative case studies.Difficult Heritage: Negotiating the Nazi Past in Nuremberg and Beyond
By Sharon Macdonald. 2008
How does a city and a nation deal with a legacy of perpetrating atrocity? How are contemporary identities negotiated and…
shaped in the face of concrete reminders of a past that most wish they did not have? Difficult Heritage focuses on the case of Nuremberg – a city whose name is indelibly linked with Nazism – to explore these questions and their implications. Using an original in-depth research, using archival, interview and ethnographic sources, it provides not only fascinating new material and perspectives, but also more general original theorizing of the relationship between heritage, identity and material culture. The book looks at how Nuremberg has dealt with its Nazi past post-1945. It focuses especially, but not exclusively, on the city’s architectural heritage, in particular, the former Nazi party rally grounds, on which the Nuremburg rallies were staged. The book draws on original sources, such as city council debates and interviews, to chart a lively picture of debate, action and inaction in relation to this site and significant others, in Nuremberg and elsewhere. In doing so, Difficult Heritage seeks to highlight changes over time in the ways in which the Nazi past has been dealt with in Germany, and the underlying cultural assumptions, motivations and sources of friction involved. Whilst referencing wider debates and giving examples of what was happening elsewhere in Germany and beyond, Difficult Heritage provides a rich in-depth account of this most fascinating of cases. It also engages in comparative reflection on developments underway elsewhere in order to contextualize what was happening in Nuremberg and to show similarities to and differences from the ways in which other ‘difficult heritages’ have been dealt with elsewhere. By doing so, the author offers an informed perspective on ways of dealing with difficult heritage, today and in the future, discussing innovative museological, educational and artistic practice.Conservation of Plastics
By Yvonne Shashoua. 2008
Plastic objects are included more than ever in museums and galleries collections these days, but these items can start to…
deteriorate when they a just a few years old. In this book Yvonne Shashoua provides the essential knowledge needed to keep plastic pieces in the best possible condition so that they can continue to be enjoyed for many years. The historical development of plastics, as well as the technology, their physical and chemical properties, identification, degradation and conservation are all clearly and concisely covered within this single volume, making it an invaluable reference for the increasing number of conservators and curators that are encountering plastics in their day to day work.Written by an acknowledged authority on this period and region, this is the first full-length book published in English on…
a Roman-Gallic town. Drawing from the extensive excavation that he has carried out on the site for many years, Simon Esmonde-Cleary presents this historical and archaeological survey of the important Roman and medieval site of St Bertrand de Comminges, or Lugdunum Convenarum, which was a great meeting place of routes in antiquity and stretches along the Pyrenees in the Gascony region between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Specifically including a chapter on visiting Comminges in the present day, a part of southern France that is a popular holiday destination, Rome in thePyrenees will be invaluable reading to students and scholars of Roman provincial studies and Roman urbanism.Museum Revolutions: How museums change and are changed
By Sheila Watson, Simon J. Knell, Suzanne MacLeod. 2008
This single-volume museum studies reference title explores the ways in which museums are shaped and configured and how they themselves…
attempt to shape and change the world around them. Written by a leading group of museum professionals and academics from around the world and including new research, the chapters reveal the diverse and subtle means by which museums engage and in so doing change and are changed. The authors span over 200 years discussing national museums, ecomuseums, society museums, provincial galleries, colonial museums, the showman’s museum, and science centres. Topics covered include: disciplinary practices, ethnic representation, postcolonial politics, economic aspiration, social reform, indigenous models, conceptions of history, urban regeneration, sustainability, sacred objects, a sense of place, globalization, identities, social responsibility, controversy, repatriation, human remains, drama, learning and education. Capturing the richness of the museum studies discipline, Museum Revolutions is the ideal text for museum studies courses, providing a wide range of interlinked themes and the latest thought and research from experts in the field. It is invaluable for those students and museum professionals who want to understand the past, present and future of the museum.Managing Archaeological Resources: Global Context, National Programs, Local Actions (One World Archaeology Ser. #58)
By Francis P. McManamon, Andrew Stout, Jodi A. Barnes. 2008
In a snapshot of 21st century archaeological resource management as a global enterprise, these 25 contributors show the range of…
activities, issues, and solutions undertaken by contemporary managers of heritage sites around the world. They show how the linkages between global archaeology and funding organizations, national policies, practices, and ideologies, and local populations and their cultural and economic interests foster complexity of the issues at all levels. Case materials from five continents introduce common themes of archaeologist relations with descendant groups, public outreach, national/local relationships, and data and site preservation. Sponsored by the World Archaeological Congress.Museum Careers: A Practical Guide for Students and Novices
By N Elizabeth Schlatter. 2008
This concise volume is the place to start for anyone considering a career in museums. Museum professional and author N.…
Elizabeth Schlatter outlines the nature of the profession as a whole, the rewards and challenges of museum work, types of museums, and jobs within museums, including salary ranges. She discusses options for education and training, and offers suggestions on how to secure a job and move up the career ladder. Interviews with museum professionals from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds demonstrate different career paths and offer unique and helpful advice. For novices in the field, students in museum studies programs, or anyone considering museums as a career choice, Schlatter’s book is an essential starting point.Museum Origins: Readings in Early Museum History and Philosophy
By Hugh H. Genoways, Mary Anne Andrei. 2008
With the development of institutions displaying natural science, history, and art in the late 19th century came the debates over…
the role of these museum in society. This anthology collects 50 of the most important writings on museum philosophy dating from this formative period, written by the many of the American and European founders of the field. Genoways and Andrei contextualize these pieces with a series of introductions showing how the museum field developed within the social environment of the era. For those interested in museum history and philosophy or cultural history, this is an essential resource.Underwater and Maritime Archaeology in Latin America and the Caribbean (One World Archaeology Ser. #56)
By Margaret E. Leshikar-Denton, Pilar Luna Erreguerena. 2008
The waters of Latin America and the Caribbean are rich with archaeological sites, including coastal settlements, defensive forts, freshwater sources,…
fishing-related activities, navigational aids, anchorages, harbours, ports, shipbuilding sites, shipwrecks and survivor camps. Tragically, treasure-hunting has had a deep impact on these maritime cultural resources, especially on shipwrecks. In the last 20 years, archaeologists have been fighting the battle against these treasure hunters in an attempt to preserve these resources as a source of cultural heritage, rather than allow them to be viewed solely as a means for financial reward. Case studies written primarily by Latin American and Caribbean archaeologists demonstrate exciting and cutting edge research, conservation, site preservation, and interpretation. As a result, this groundbreaking book documents the emerging research interests of maritime archaeologists in Latin America and the Caribbean.Ancient Peoples of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau
By Steven R Simms. 2008
Written to appeal to professional archaeologists, students, and the interested public alike, this book is a long overdue introduction to…
the ancient peoples of the Great Basin and northern Colorado Plateau. Through detailed syntheses, the reader is drawn into the story of the habitation of the Great Basin from the entry of the first Native Americans through the arrival of Europeans. Ancient Peoples is a major contribution to Great Basin archaeology and anthropology, as well as the general study of foraging societies.