Archaeological science, methodology and techniques Books

Book SynopsisArchaeological writing is faced with an impasse: it has become repetitive and remote from the reading public. No large-scale excavations are taking place because of the large sums of money required. Archaeological theories are rapidly overturned and archaeological methods are trapped in the technocracy of Archaeometry. The Excavation Manual has emerged from a crisis of this kind. Its texts, written in simple, everyday language, attempt to hint at this situation. Sometimes they are merely descriptive and sometimes condemnatory or satirical. Above all, however, they envisage the renewal of archaeology in action. Text in Greek.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1931 and 1939, central Athens was transformed by the expropriation and demolition of the Vrysaki neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis. In these few years, more than 5,000 inhabitants were displaced and 348 properties were torn down so that the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) could excavate the ancient Agora; the scale of the project and the degree to which it was documented make this a unique episode in the history of Greek archaeology. Using materials from the ASCSA Archives and a large collection of photographs from the 1930s, this volume details the history of the negotiations, the expropriations, and, most importantly, the Vrysaki neighborhood itself. Illustrating its streets, shops, houses, names, and faces, the author provides a vivid recreation of the community that was Vrysaki.Trade ReviewDumont must...be commended for making this archival material widely available and for producing a beautifully illustrated book that addresses a wide range of people who connect and interact with the city of Athens. Fotini Kondyli, Journal of Modern Greek Studies 39.1 (2021). "Designed as a memento mori rather than a gesture of mourning proper, Dumont's book offers to the twenty-first century reader more than its author admits or even perhaps envisaged." Dimitris Plantzos, BMCR 2022.01.11. "This beautifully produced book is obviously of importance for anyone interested in the history of modern Athens... " Frits G. Naerebout, BABESCH 96 (2021).

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Book SynopsisDuring the New Kingdom (c. 1570–1070 BCE), the Valley of the Kings was the burial place of Egypt’s pharaohs, including such powerful and famous rulers as Amenhotep III, Rameses II, and Tutankhamen. They were buried here in large and beautifully decorated tombs that have become among the country’s most visited archaeological sites. The tourists contribute millions of badly needed dollars to Egypt’s economy. But because of inadequate planning, these same visitors are destroying the very tombs they come to see. Crowding, pollution, changes in the tombs’ air quality, ever-growing tourist infrastructure—all pose serious threats to the Valley’s survival.This volume, the result of twenty-five years of work by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo, traces the history of the Valley of the Kings and offers specific proposals to manage the site and protect its fragile contents. At the same time, it recognizes the need to provide a positive experience for the thousands of visitors who flock here daily. This is the first major management plan developed for any Egyptian archaeological site, and as its proposals are implemented, they offer a replicable model for archaeologists, conservators, and site managers throughout Egypt and the region.Published in both English and Arabic editions and supported by the World Monuments Fund, this critical study will help to ensure the survival of Egypt’s patrimony in a manner compatible with the country’s heavy reliance on tourism income.

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Book SynopsisThe aim of the conference was to discuss the contribution of physics and other sciences in archaeological research and in the preservation of cultural heritage. Considering that the mission of ECSAC is to promote the interaction among the diverse cultures of the peoples from the lands on the Adriatic and Ionian seas, it is apt that the major themes were related to the rich history and pre-history of this region — from Greek-Roman archaeology on the eastern Adriatic coasts to the palaeoanthropology of the Neanderthals of the Vindija caves in Croatia, from the Roman city of Aquileia to the pleistocenic cave of Homo heidelbergensis in the Karst of Visogliano (Trieste), from the Roman ship Julia Felix of the Grado lagoon to the ancient bronze Apoxyomenos of the Veli Lošinj waters.A variety of scientific disciplines provide tools and methods that are crucial in reconstructing humanity's past and in preserving material remains that witness the evolution of human culture. Geology reconstructs the history of terrestrial environments, critical for the evolution and dispersal of humans. Chemistry explains reactions that modify materials left by human activities, including the destructive effects of pollution. Biology has a critical role in archaeology, particularly with the recent advance in analysis of DNA in ancient organic materials.Table of ContentsArchaeological and Archaeometrical Data in the Study of the Athlete of Croatia (M Michelucci); Ion Beam Techniques for Analysis of Cultural Heritage Objects: Collaboration Between the Ruder BoA'ković Institute and the Croatian Conservation Institute (S Fazinic); New Archaeometric Approaches to Study Large Bronze Statues (G Gigante); Archaeometric Measurements with PIXE in Slovenia (A Aemit); In Situ Chemical Composition Analysis of Cultural Heritage Objects Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (D Wegrzynek); Integrated Geophysical Techniques for the High-Resolution Study of Archaelogical Sites (M Pipan); Luminescence Dating Techniques for the Cultural Heritage (M Martini); New X-Ray Digital Radiography and Computed Tomography for Cultural Heritage (F Casali); Cosmic Rays for Archaelogy (G Giannini); Some Examples of Examination, Characterisation, Analysis and Conservation Techniques Dedicated to Archaelogical Artefactcs (J-L Boutaine); and other papers;

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