Archaeology by period / region Books

Book SynopsisTV presenter Graham Hancock''s multi-million bestseller Fingerprints of the Gods remains an astonishing, deeply controversial, wide-ranging investigation of the mysteries of our past and the evidence for Earth''s lost civilization. Twenty years on, Hancock returns with a book filled with completely new, scientific and archaeological evidence, which has only recently come to light...The evidence revealed in this book shows beyond reasonable doubt that an advanced civilization that flourished during the Ice Age was destroyed in the global cataclysms between 12,800 and 11,600 years ago.Near the end of the last Ice Age 12,800 years ago, a giant comet that had entered the solar system from deep space thousands of years earlier, broke into multiple fragments. Some of these struck the Earth causing a global cataclysm on a scale unseen since the extinction of the dinosaurs. At least eight of the fragments hit the North American ice cap, while further fragments hit theTrade ReviewA great yarn... [Hancock] is a writer with a first-rate feel for colour and ambience... * Sunday Times *Hancock's book is an absorbing big-picture analysis as well as a cautionary tale. * Nexus Magazine *

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Book Synopsis***THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER***''Hancock''s books provide a fascinating, alternative version of prehistory. America Before, detailed and wide-ranging, turns what was myth and legend into a new story of the past.'' Daily MailWas an advanced civilization lost to history in the global cataclysm that ended the last Ice Age? Graham Hancock, the internationally bestselling author and television presenter, has made it his life''s work to find out -- and in America Before, he draws on the latest archaeological and DNA evidence to bring his quest to a stunning conclusion.We''ve been taught that North and South America were empty of humans until around 13,000 years ago - amongst the last great landmasses on earth to have been settled by our ancestors. But new discoveries have radically reshaped this long-established picture and we know now that the Americas were first peopled more than 130,000 years ago - many tens of thousaTrade ReviewHancock's books provide a fascinating, alternative version of prehistory. America Before, detailed and wide-ranging, turns what was myth and legend into a new story of the past. * Daily Mail *Praise for Graham Hancock * : *A great yarn... [Hancock] is a writer with a first-rate feel for colour and ambience. * The Sunday Times *Hancock's book is an absorbing big-picture analysis as well as a cautionary tale. * Nexus *

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Book SynopsisIn the past three decades, archaeologists have made great strides in recovering the lost world of the Old Testament. Dozens of digs in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon have changed experts'' understanding of ancient Israel and its neighbours- as well as their vision of the Bible''s greatest tales. Yet until now, the public has remained almost entirely unaware of these discoveries which help separate legend from historical truth. Here, at last, two of archaeology''s leading scholars shed new light on how the Bible came into existence. They assert, for example, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob never existed, that David and Solomon were not great kings but obscure chieftains and that the Exodus never happened. They offer instead a new historical truth: the Bible was created by the people of the small, southern nation of Judah in a heroic last-ditch attempt to keep their faith alive after the demise of the larger, wealthier nation of Israel to the north. It is in this truth, not in the myths of the past, that the real value of the Bible is evident.Trade ReviewBaruch Halpern author of The First Historians: The Hebrew Bible and History The boldest and most exhilarating synthesis of the Bible and archaeology in fifty years.John Shelby Spong author of Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love, and Equality A bold and provocative book, well researched, well written, and powerfully argued. It challenges many of the assumptions developed by the literal religious minds of the ages, opening traditional possibilities to new conclusions.Jonathan Kirsch Los Angeles Times A brutally honest assessment of what archaeology can and cannot tell us about the historical accuracy of the Bible...presented with both authority and panache.Table of ContentsContentsPrologue: In the Days of King JosiahIntroduction: Archaeology and the BiblePART ONEThe Bible as History? Searching for the Patriarchs Did the Exodus Happen? The Conquest of Canaan Who Were the Israelites? Memories of a Golden Age? PART TWOThe Rise and Fall of Ancient Israel One State, One Nation, One People? (C. 930-720 BCE) Israel's Forgotten First Kingdom (884-842 BCE) In the Shadow of Empire (842-720 BCE) PART THREEJudah and the Making of Biblical History The Transformation of Judah (C. 930-705 BCE) Between War and Survival (705-639 BCE) A Great Reformation (639-586 BCE) Exile and Return (586-C. 440 BCE) Epilogue: The Future of Biblical IsraelAppendix A: Theories of the Historicity of the Patriarchal AgeAppendix B: Searching for SinaiAppendix C: Alternative Theories of the Israelite ConquestAppendix D: Why the Traditional Archaeology of the Davidic and Solomonic Period Is WrongAppendix E: Identifying the Era of Manasseh in the Archaeological RecordAppendix F: How Vast Was the Kingdom of Josiah?Appendix G: The Boundaries of the Province of YehudBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis student-friendly introduction to the archaeology of ancient Egypt guides readers from the Paleolithic to the Greco-Roman periods, and has now been updated to include recent discoveries and new illustrations.Table of ContentsList of Plates ix List of Figures xi List of Maps xv Abbreviations xvii Preface xix Acknowledgments xxi 1 Egyptian Archaeology: Definitions and History 1 1.1 Introduction: Ancient Egyptian Civilization and Its Prehistoric Predecessors 3 1.2 Egyptian Archaeology 3 1.3 Egyptology 5 1.4 History of Egyptology and Egyptian Archaeology 5 1.5 Archaeological Methods 14 1.6 Archaeological Theory 21 1.7 Ancient Egypt and Egyptian Archaeologists in Fiction and Films 22 2 Hieroglyphs, Language, and Pharaonic Chronology 25 2.1 Language of the Ancient Egyptians 27 2.2 Origins and Development of Egyptian Writing 27 2.3 Scripts and Media of Writing 31 2.4 Signs, Structure, and Grammar 31 2.5 Literacy in Ancient Egypt 33 2.6 Textual Studies 34 2.7 Use of Texts in Egyptian Archaeology 36 2.8 Historical Outline of Pharaonic Egypt 38 2.9 The Egyptian Civil Calendar, King Lists, and Calculation of Pharaonic Chronology 39 3 The Environmental Background to Pharaonic Civilization: Geography, Environment, Agriculture, and Natural Resources 47 3.1 Geography: Terms and Place Names 49 3.2 Environmental Setting 53 3.3 Environmental and Other Problems for Archaeology in Egypt 56 3.4 The Seasons and the Agricultural System 58 3.5 The Ancient Egyptian Diet 60 3.6 Other Useful Animals and Plants 62 3.7 Building Materials 63 3.8 Other Resources: Clays, Stones, Minerals 64 3.9 Imported Materials 66 4 Egyptian Prehistory: The Paleolithic and Neolithic 69 Paleolithic 71 4.1 Paleolithic Cultures in Egypt 71 4.2 Lower Paleolithic 73 4.3 Middle Paleolithic 74 4.4 Upper Paleolithic 79 4.5 Late Paleolithic 80 4.6 Epipaleolithic (Final Paleolithic) 82 Neolithic 84 4.7 Saharan Neolithic 84 4.8 Neolithic in the Nile Valley: Faiyum A and Lower Egypt 87 4.9 Neolithic in the Nile Valley: Middle and Upper Egypt 90 5 The Rise of Complex Society and Early Civilization 93 Predynastic Egypt 95 5.1 The Predynastic Period: Egypt in the Fourth Millennium BC 95 5.2 Lower Egypt: Predynastic Culture 95 5.3 Upper Egypt: Naqada Culture 99 5.4 Lower Nubia: A-Group Culture 110 5.5 State Formation and Unification 112 The Early Dynastic State 117 5.6 Organization and Institutions of the Early Dynastic State 117 5.7 Early Writing and Formal Art 129 5.8 The Expanding State 130 5.9 Who Were the Ancient Egyptians? Physical Anthropology 131 6 The Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period 133 6.1 The Old Kingdom: Overview 135 The Early Old Kingdom 140 6.2 The 3rd Dynasty: Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara 140 6.3 The 4th Dynasty’s First King, Sneferu, and His Three Pyramids 145 6.4 Khufu’s Great Pyramid at Giza 147 6.5 The Great Sphinx and Khafra’s Pyramid Complex 153 6.6 Menkaura’s Giza Pyramid and Its Remarkable Valley Temple Finds 155 6.7 Giza Pyramid Towns 156 6.8 Giza Mastabas, Queen Hetepheres’s Hidden “Tomb,” and the Workmen’s Cemetery 160 The Later Old Kingdom 166 6.9 Sun Temples of the 5th Dynasty 166 6.10 Later Old Kingdom Pyramids and the Pyramid Texts 168 6.11 An Expanding Bureaucracy: Private Tombs in the 5th and 6th Dynasties 170 6.12 Egypt Abroad 174 The First Intermediate Period 176 6.13 The End of the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period: Causes of State Collapse 176 7 The Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period 181 The Middle Kingdom 183 7.1 The Middle Kingdom: Overview 183 7.2 Pre-Unification 11th Dynasty: Saff Tombs at Thebes 190 7.3 Mentuhotep II’s Complex at Deir el-Bahri 190 7.4 Model Workers and the Deir el-Bahri Tomb of Meketra 192 7.5 12th-Dynasty Temples 194 7.6 12th- and 13th-Dynasty Pyramids 198 7.7 Towns and Domestic Architecture: Kahun and South Abydos 202 7.8 Nomarchs in Middle Egypt: The Beni Hasan Tombs 206 7.9 Mining in the Sinai and a Galena Mine in the Eastern Desert 207 7.10 Egyptian Forts in Nubia and Indigenous Peoples There 208 The Second Intermediate Period 211 7.11 The Second Intermediate Period: The Hyksos Kingdom in the North 211 7.12 The Kerma Kingdom in Upper Nubia 217 7.13 The Theban State during the Second Intermediate Period 223 8 The New Kingdom 225 8.1 The New Kingdom: Overview 227 The Early New Kingdom 234 8.2 Early New Kingdom Architecture: Ahmose’s Abydos Pyramid Complex, the Thutmosid Palace and Harbor at Tell el-Daba, and the Theban Mortuary Temples of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III 234 8.3 Amenhotep III’s Malkata Palace 238 8.4 Tell el-Amarna and the Amarna Period 240 8.5 The Amarna Aftermath and Tutankhamen’s Tomb 247 New Kingdom Temples 254 8.6 Restoration of the Traditional Gods: Sety I’s Abydos Temple 254 8.7 The Temples of Karnak and Luxor in the New Kingdom 255 8.8 Ramessid Mortuary Temples 260 Royal and Elite Tombs 264 8.9 Royal Tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens 264 8.10 Elite Tombs at Thebes and Saqqara 270 State Towns and Settlements 275 8.11 The Workmen’s Village and Tombs at Deir el-Medina 275 8.12 Nubian Temple Towns 281 9 The Third Intermediate Period and Late Period 285 9.1 The Third Intermediate Period: Overview 287 9.2 The Late Period: Overview 291 9.3 Tanis: A New City with Royal Tombs 294 9.4 Napata/Gebel Barkal and Sanam 296 9.5 el-Kurru and Nuri: The Kushite Royal Tombs 299 9.6 Saqqara: The Serapeum and Animal Cults 302 9.7 Some High-Status Tombs of the Third Intermediate Period and Late Period 306 9.8 Tell el-Maskhuta and Tell el-Herr 308 10 The Greco-Roman Period 311 Greco-Roman Egypt 313 10.1 The Ptolemaic Period: Overview 313 10.2 The Roman Period: Overview 317 10.3 Alexandria 321 10.4 Greco-Roman Settlements in the Faiyum 323 10.5 Two Greco-Roman Temple Complexes in Upper Egypt: Dendera and Philae 325 Sites Outside the Nile Valley 328 10.6 The Western Desert: Bahariya and Dakhla Oases 328 10.7 The Eastern Desert: Roman Ports, Forts, Roads, and Quarrying Sites 332 Nubia 336 10.8 Qasr Ibrim 336 10.9 Meroe: The Kushite Capital and Royal Cemeteries 338 11 The Study of Ancient Egypt 345 Glossary of Terms 351 Suggested Readings 355 Appendix 1: Additional Readings in French, German, and Italian 399 Appendix 2: Websites 409 Chapter Summaries and Discussion Questions 411 Index 427

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Book SynopsisMarija Gimbutas wrote and taught with rare clarity in her original - and originally shocking - interpretation of prehistoric European civilization. This text contains the distillation of her studies, combined with new disco veries, insights, and analysis.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Editor's Preface Acknowledgments Editor's Introduction Part 1 Religion in Prepatriarchal Europe 1 Images of Goddesses and Gods 2 Symbols, Signs, and Sacred Script 3 The Tomb and the Womb 4 Temples 5 Sacred Stone and Wood Ceremonial Centers 6 Matrilineal Social Structure as Mirrored in Religion and Myth Part 2 The Living Goddesses 7 The Minoan Religion in Crete 8 The Greek Religion 9 The Etruscan Religion 10 The Basque Religion 11 The Celtic Religion 12 The Germanic Religion 13 The Baltic Religion Editor's Afterword Editor's Notes Glossary Selected Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis"A veritable roadmap, not only to the complex issues surrounding their reigns, but also to the tale of their modern rediscovery. "Stephen P. Harvey, Ahmose and Tetisheri Project, AbydosAn innovative account of the lives and times of the warrior king' Thutmose III, and the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, by renowned Egyptologist Aidan DodsonThutmose III and Hatshepsut are among the best-known figures in Egyptian history. Thutmose has been called the Napoleon of ancient Egypt, during whose reign Egypt's armies penetrated deep into northern Syria and consolidated Egyptian dominion over much of Sudan. Hatshepsut, one of the handful of female pharaohs, also took to the battlefield, but is best known today for a great trading expedition, down the Red Sea coast to the mysterious land of Punt. At first, Hatshepsut served simply as regent for her young nephew-stepson Thutmose, but subsequently the two shared the throne of Egypt as co-pharaohs for over a decade. Later, as sole king, Thutmose devoted much of the rest of his life to military matters and large-scale building works, continuing the work of Hatshepsut that created much of the core of the great temple of Karnak. During the very last years of his life, Thutmose launched an attack on the memory of Hatshepsut, with most of her images destroyed. Yet, some four centuries later, Thutmose III and Hatshepsut were still remembered together as great figures of the past, whose conception of pharaonic kingship served as the model for later rulers, into the eighth century BC. This book, illustrated in full color, traces what we know about the lives and times of Thutmose and Hatshepsut, and the monuments they built to guarantee their afterlives. It then explores their posthumous reputations in ancient times, and ends with the story of how the two pharaohs emerged from the mists of time during the nineteenth century AD, to resume their places in history.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Written with great enthusiasm and characteristic flair. . . . Scott hits the nail squarely on the head by exposing the staggering price our ancestors paid for civilisation and political order.”—Walter Scheidel, Financial Times“[Scott’s work] has focussed on a skeptical, peasant’s-eye view of state formation. . . . His best-known book, Seeing Like a State, has become a touchstone for political scientists, and amounts to a blistering critique of central planning and ‘high modernism.’ . . . Scott’s new book extends these ideas into the deep past, and draws on existing research to argue that ours is not a story of linear progress, that the time line is much more complicated, and that the causal sequences of the standard version are wrong.”—John Lanchester, New Yorker“Against the Grain delivers not only a darker story but also a broad understanding of the forces that shaped the formation of states and why they collapsed — right up to the industrial age . . . an excellent book.”—Ben Collyer, New Scientist“Scott offers an alternative to the conventional narrative that is altogether more fascinating, not least in the way it omits any self-congratulation about human achievement. His account of the deep past doesn’t purport to be definitive, but it is surely more accurate than the one we are used to.”—Steven Mithen, London Review of Books“Forget the Paleo Diet: Scott goes all the way in showing how early nomadic peoples in the Fertile Crescent were fitter, happier and more productive than the semi-enslaved ziggurat-builders of the ancient Mesopotamian cities.”—James Whipple (M.E.S.H), Frieze“This is an important book, which should be read by every educated person. The story it tells is so different, so opposed, to the received narrative it deserves to be everywhere known. Scott’s presentation of evidence is so complete that the received narrative simply can no longer stand. Additionally, Scott writes extremely well: a clear, unambiguous, approachable style, with occasional sparkles of gentle humour to ease the way. The book is an intellectual delight.”—George Gale, Metascience“Scott’s original book is history as it should be written.”— Barry Cunliffe, Guardian“James C. Scott’s oeuvre is among the most important in contemporary political theory. Against the Grain is a significant addition to it, as Scott issues the challenge of an anti-authoritarian approach to our political origins.”—Crispin Sartwell, Times Literary Supplement“Scott’s research is extraordinarily meticulous and detailed, and the lives of his imagined first citizens are unlike anything existing today. . . . Against the Grain deserves a wide readership. It has made me look afresh at the urban world.”—Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books“Fascinating.”—George Monbiot, Guardian“History as it should be written—an analysis of the deep forces exposed to the eternal conflict between humans and their environment. What makes it even more welcome is that it has been written with the enthusiasm of discovery.”—Barry Cunliffe, GuardianAn Economist Best History Book 2017“Against the Grain is likely bound to shape how we think about this topic for years to come.”—Johann Strube, Agriculture and Human Values“Against the Grain delivers what is says on the tin and is a fine piece of historical counter-narrative, with elements of environmental history woven throughout. . .This results in a book that is fascinating, readable, but above all thought-provoking. It certainly made me ponder the ‘civil’ part in civilization.”—Leon Vlieger, Natural History Book Service“The value of the book . . . is precisely in the sorts of provocative questions it raises and the debates it will spark. Scott brings archaeology into one of the most important insights of his wider project, that states are neither inevitable nor neutral. In doing so, he has created a space in which archaeology becomes relevant for current political concerns, and for this reason alone his book should be widely read.”—Antiquity“James C. Scott is one of the historians of our times who delights in compelling us to rethink received wisdom and chart out fresh trajectories through the past, even as he constantly reminds us of our present locations. In reading his works, we anticipate challenges, irreverence and insights. This slim volume does, to some extent, live up to these expectations.”—Kumkum Roy, Studies in History“James Scott’s latest volume is a wide-ranging yet incisive synthesis of the origins of civilization within the context of early sedentism, agro-ecology and the fragility of the archaic state.”—Vernon L. Scarborough, Human Ecology“This is an important book, which should be read by every educated person. The story it tells is so different, so opposed, to the received narrative it deserves to be everywhere known. Scott’s presentation of evidence is so complete that the received narrative simply can no longer stand. Additionally, Scott writes extremely well: a clear, unambiguous, approachable style, with occasional sparkles of gentle humor to ease the way. The book is an intellectual delight.”—George Gale, Metascience“In an authoritative and gripping re-imagining of human history, Scott dives deep into the initial development of farming several thousand years ago. This book led me to revisit my ideas about the past and to ponder anew about life in the present.”—Alison Richard, The WeekFinalist for the 2018 CT Book AwardWinner of the A.SK Social Science Award, one of the most prestigious distinctions in the social sciences, sponsored by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. “I admire Against the Grain very much. It is the most confirming and clarifying book about agriculture that I have read in a long time.”—Wendell Berry, as written in a letter to James C. Scott“This is a brilliant, accessible, and highly original account of the origins of sedentism, farming, states, and the relations between agrarian and nomadic communities. It should attract a wider audience than any of Scott’s earlier books.”—J. R. McNeill, co-author of The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene since 1945“A sweeping and provocative look at the 'rise of civilization,' focusing particularly on those parts, peoples, and issues that are normally overlooked in conventional historical narratives.”—Alison Betts, The University of Sydney“Brilliant, sparkling, dissident scholarship. In Scott’s hands, agriculture looks like a terrible choice, states and empires look fragile, ephemeral, and predatory, and the ‘barbarians’ beyond their borders lived in relative freedom and affluence.”—David Christian, Macquarie University, Sydney“This book is fascinating and original, containing a lesson on every page. Brilliant. James Scott is a legend."—Tim Harford, author of Messy and The Undercover Economist

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Book SynopsisFifteen new contributors bring fresh perspectives to the fifth edition of The Human Past, the most authoritative introduction to world prehistory, revealing our shared human story with the latest scholarship. Thoroughly updated by its team of authors, including 15 leading specialists new to this edition, this fifth edition introduces students to a more equitable and representative view of world prehistory. A total of 30 contributing authors a truly international team of experts introduce the enormous diversity of the human story as it occurred around the world, from the emergence of the first Homo species to human migrations, sedentism, domestication and agriculture, population growth and urban living, and the social systems and inequalities that were present across human groups of many sizes, from small societies to vast empires. Twenty chronological chapters focus on individual regions, and new content appears in every chapter. The new authors bring first-hand scholarship a

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Book SynopsisThe First Signs is the first-ever exploration of the little-known geometric images that accompany most cave art around the world—the first indications of symbolic meaning, intelligence, and language.     Join renowned archaeologist Genevieve von Petzinger on an Indiana Jones-worthy adventure from the open-air rock art sites of northern Portugal to the dark depths of a remote cave in Spain that can only be reached by sliding face-first through the mud. Von Petzinger looks past the beautiful horses, powerful bison, graceful ibex, and faceless humans in the ancient paintings. Instead, she’s obsessed with the abstract geometric images that accompany them, the terse symbols that appear more often than any other kinds of figures—signs that have never really been studied or explained until now.     Part travel journal, part popular science, part personal narrative, von Petzinger’s groundbreaking book starts to crack the code on the first form of graphic communication. It’s in her blood, as this talented scientist’s grandmother served as a code-breaker at Bletchley. Discernible patterns emerge that point to abstract thought and expression, and for the first time, we can begin to understand the changes that might have been happening inside the minds of our Ice Age ancestors—offering a glimpse of when they became us.Trade Review"Genevieve von Petzinger reveals that, beyond the iconic images of horses and bison so transcendent in their beauty, are 32 signs that may represent a vocabulary written literally in stone, symbols that offer an opening into the Paleolithic mind. This may represent one of the most extraordinary scientific insights of our time." -- Wade Davis, author of The Serpent and the Rainbow * Professor of Anthropology Faculty Associate, University of British Columbia *"If you love mysteries, you'll love this book. Archaeologist von Petzinger acts as guide and sleuth in this fascinating, accessible, and fast-paced exploration of Ice Age artists and the evocative cave paintings they left behind.Von Petzinger offers a new way to think about why our distant relatives created this art, and what it means. You'll come away with a deeper appreciation for these great artists, their love of animals and the natural world, and their connection to us." -- Virginia Morell, author of Animal Wise and Ancestral Passions.“In this wonder-filled book Genevieve von Petzinger takes us tens of thousands of years back in time, and to some stunningly beautiful sites, in a fascinating attempt to penetrate the psyches of those ancient people.” -- Ian Tattersall, author of The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack and Other Cautionary Tales from Human EvolutionVon Petzinger has created a fascinating look at signs found in the caves that have not been thought of before. I have been in many of the caves myself and recognized many of the symbols. I thought her analysis of the symbols reflected the intelligence of our ancient ancestors. She has done a remarkable job of analyzing part of the cave art that has never been done in that way before." -- Jean Auel, author of the bestselling Earth's Children series"Fascinating, a journey through later prehistory, interspersed with personal anecdotes of her exploration. She delves expertly into many of the questions around the earliest expressions of art, symbols and language." -- Louise Leakey, paleontologist, Director at the Turkana Basin Institute"Brings fresh eyes and fascinating theses to the study of ancient rock art... Lively... Linking these systems to other graphic conventions may eventually yield some sort of Rosetta stone... Anyone who's longed to visit Lascaux or the caves of Cantabria will be eager to read von Petzinger's admirable efforts at cracking the code." * Kirkus *"An exceptional read that should capture the imagination of anyone fascinated by time, humanity, and prehistory." * Library Journal (Starred Review) *

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Book SynopsisNow with a new chapter.The official inside story of the life, death and remarkable discovery of history's most controversial monarch.On 22 August 1485 Richard III was killed at Bosworth Field, the last king of England to die in battle. His victorious opponent, Henry Tudor (the future Henry VII), went on to found one of our most famous ruling dynasties. Richard's body was displayed in undignified fashion for two days in nearby Leicester and then hurriedly buried in the church of the Greyfriars. Fifty years later, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the king's grave was lost - its contents believed to be emptied into the river Soar and Richard III's reputation buried under a mound of Tudor propaganda. Its culmination was Shakespeare's compelling portrayal of a deformed and murderous villain, written over a hundred years after Richard's death. Now - in an incredible find - Richard III's remains have been uncovered beneath a car park in Leicester. The King's Grave traces this remarkable journey. In alternate chapters, Philippa Langley, whose years of research and belief that she would find Richard in this exact spot inspired the project, reveals the inside story of the search for the king's grave, and historian Michael Jones tells of Richard's fifteenth-century life and death. The result is a compelling portrayal of one of our greatest archaeological discoveries, allowing a complete re-evaluation of our most controversial monarch - one that discards the distortions of later Tudor histories and puts the man firmly back into the context of his times.Trade ReviewIn almost the exact spot where Langley had first become convinced she was standing on top of Richard's grave, a careful flick of a trowel revealed the leg bone of what would turn out to be the remains of the king, complete with the twisted, scoliosis spine so compellingly placed centre stage by Shakespeare. Now the remarkable story of King Richard's life and death - and the amazing journey of the intuitive woman who never gave up believing that she would one day find his body - has been brought together in this fascinating and informative book * Lancashire Evening Post *A history-making book which I had trouble putting down * Historical Novel Society *It is being called once of the most significant finds in archaeological history, shedding light on a king's last resting place and solving a 500-year old mystery over his death -- Daily TelegraphArchaeologists described the find as one of the most significant 'in recent times' and said history books will be rewritten -- Daily MailJones's historical chapters are measured, reasonable and elegantly written -- Sunday Times[Philippa Langley] has just written a compelling book with historian and friend Michael Jones . . . It is cleverly constructed: in alternate chapters she tells the story of her quest, while Michael details the life of Richard colourfully. It reads like an up-all-night thriller -- Mail on SundayThis is the year that Richard III rose up from his unmarked grave in a Leicester car park, and this is the book that describes the painstaking quest for the king's body, and the battle that destroyed him. Philippa Langley pursued his remains, Michael Jones pursued his reputation and together they have written a book which explains and defines the battle where he died, the grave that was lost, and the legend that followed him. This book is about an important excavation indeed, of the body from a lost grave, and of a king from a long libel -- Philippa GregoryThe King's Grave . . . reveals the remarkable story of how the remains came to be unearthed. And the result is a compelling portrayal of one of this century's most important archaeological discoveries -- BBC History MagazineHistory at its most fascinating -- Books Monthly magazine[A] page-turner -- Current ArchaeologyLangley's invaluable contribution to the investigation is undisputed; she envisioned, facilitated and drove it for years. Her confidential, breathy, diary-style chapters recreate the immediacy of the dig for the reader . . . The Search for Richard III makes for compelling reading -- TLSInteresting [and] engaging -- Daily ExpressThe King's Grave tells two remarkable stories in alternating chapters -- Wall Street JournalFascinating -- BooksellerJones's cogent and nuanced narrative provides the historical ballast to Langley's search -- GuardianJones's historical chapters are measured, reasonable and elegantly written * Sunday Times *[Philippa Langley] has just written a compelling book with historian and friend Michael Jones . . . It is cleverly constructed: in alternate chapters she tells the story of her quest, while Michael details the life of Richard colourfully. It reads like an up-all-night thriller * Mail on Sunday *This is the year that Richard III rose up from his unmarked grave in a Leicester car park, and this is the book that describes the painstaking quest for the king's body, and the battle that destroyed him. Philippa Langley pursued his remains, Michael Jones pursued his reputation and together they have written a book which explains and defines the battle where he died, the grave that was lost, and the legend that followed him. This book is about an important excavation indeed, of the body from a lost grave, and of a king from a long libel * Philippa Gregory *The King's Grave . . . reveals the remarkable story of how the remains came to be unearthed. And the result is a compelling portrayal of one of this century's most important archaeological discoveries * BBC History Magazine *History at its most fascinating * www.booksmonthly.co.uk/nonfic.html *A . . . page-turner * Current Archaeology *Langley's invaluable contribution to the investigation is undisputed; she envisioned, facilitated and drove it for years. Her confidential, breathy, diary-style chapters recreate the immediacy of the dig for the reader . . . The Search for Richard III makes for compelling reading * TLS *Jones's cogent and nuanced narrative provides the historical ballast to Langley's search * Guardian *Interesting [and] engaging * Daily Express *The King's Grave tells two remarkable stories in alternating chapters * Wall Street Journal *Fascinating * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisThis fully revised and updated third edition of the bestselling Ancient Egypt seeks to identify what gave ancient Egypt its distinctive and enduring characteristics, ranging across material culture, the mindset of its people, and social and economic factors. In this volume, Barry J. Kemp identifies the ideas by which the Egyptians organized their experience of the world and explains how they maintained a uniform style in their art and architecture across three thousand years, whilst accommodating substantial changes in outlook. The underlying aim is to relate ancient Egypt to the broader mainstream of our understanding of how all human societies function.Source material is taken from ancient written documents, while the book also highlights the contribution that archaeology makes to our understanding of Egyptian culture and society. It uses numerous case studies, illustrating them with artwork expressly prepared from specialist sources. Broad ranging yet impressTrade Review‘It is hard to express how important this book is for me. When Barry J. Kemp sorts out the anatomy of Egyptian civilization, from elite and royal Early Dynastic Tombs to tower houses of late antiquity, he provides critical new understanding, beautifully illustrating each lesson with enviable elegance and clarity. In this third edition, Kemp continues to offer fresh, in-depth, eminently use-able, lasting perspectives on many facets of ancient Egyptian society and economy, while eschewing ephemeral, trendy theory. More than any other book, this one, and now it its third edition, continues to teach about and inspire a passion for the people of ancient Egypt and the civilization they created.’ Mark Lehner, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, USATable of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of abbreviations of works; Introduction; Part I Establishing identity; 1 Who were the ancient Egyptians?; 2 The intellectual foundations of the early state; 3 The dynamics of culture; Part II The provider state; 4 The bureaucratic mind; 5 Model communities; Part III Intimations of our future; 6 New Kingdom Egypt: the mature state; 7 The birth of economic man; 8 Egypt in microcosm: the city of Amarna; Index

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that the Jewish kingdom of the Bible was real, as were its first three kings, Saul, David, and Solomon even if the biblical stories distort their actions to glorify them. Combining fresh archaeological evidence with astute readings of key texts, the authors offer a compelling reconstruction of this fascinating ancient polity.

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Book SynopsisAll the Awful Egyptians' most horrible facts ready for readers to uncover, including why the Egyptian people worshipped a dung beetle, which pharaoh married her grandfather and what the 'Shepherd of the Royal Backside' had to do! These bestselling titles are sure to be a huge hit with yet another generation of Terry Deary fans.

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER AND BBC HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEARFINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2022''Pacey and potentially revolutionary'' Sunday Times ''Iconoclastic and irreverent ... an exhilarating read'' The Guardian For generations, our remote ancestors have been cast as primitive and childlike - either free and equal, or thuggish and warlike. Civilization, we are told, could be achieved only by sacrificing those original freedoms or, alternatively, by taming our baser instincts. David Graeber and David Wengrow show how such theories first emerged in the eighteenth century as a reaction to indigenous critiques of European society, and why they are wrong. In doing so, they overturn our view of human history, including the origins of farming, property, cities, democracy, slavery and civilization itself. Drawing on path-breaking research in archaeology and anthropology, the authors show how history becomes a far more interesting place once we begin to see what''s really there. If humans did not spend 95 per cent of their evolutionary past in tiny bands of hunter-gatherers, what were they doing all that time? If agriculture, and cities, did not mean a plunge into hierarchy and domination, then what kinds of social and economic organization did they lead to? The answers are often unexpected, and suggest that the course of history may be less set in stone, and more full of playful possibilities than we tend to assume. The Dawn of Everything fundamentally transforms our understanding of the human past and offers a path toward imagining new forms of freedom, new ways of organizing society. This is a monumental book of formidable intellectual range, animated by curiosity, moral vision and faith in the power of direct action.''This is not a book. This is an intellectual feast'' Nassim Nicholas Taleb''The most profound and exciting book I''ve read in thirty years'' Robin D. G. KelleyTrade ReviewA boldly ambitious work ... entertaining and thought-provoking ... an impressively large undertaking that succeeds in making us reconsider not just the remote past but also the too-close-to-see present, as well as the common thread that is our shifting and elusive nature. -- Andrew Anthony * Observer *What a gift ... Graeber and Wengrow offer a history of the past 30,000 years that is not only wildly different from anything we're used to, but also far more interesting: textured, surprising, paradoxical, inspiring. -- William Deresiewicz * The Atlantic *Iconoclastic and irreverent ... an exhilarating read ... As we seek new, sustainable ways to organise our world, we need to understand the full range of ways our ancestors thought and lived. And we must certainly question conventional versions of our history which we have accepted, unexamined, for far too long. -- David Priestland * The Guardian *Pacey and potentially revolutionary ... This is more than an argument about the past, it is about the human condition in the present. -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *A fascinating, radical, and playful entry into a seemingly exhaustively well-trodden genre, the grand evolutionary history of humanity. It seeks nothing less than to completely upend the terms on which the Standard Narrative rests ... erudite, compelling, generative, and frequently remarkably funny ... once you start thinking like Graeber and Wengrow, it's difficult to stop. -- Emily M. Kern * Boston Review *A spectacular, flashy and ground-breaking retelling of human history, blazing with iconoclastic rebuttals to conventional wisdom. Full of fresh thinking, it's a pleasure to read and offers a bracing challenge on every page. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * BBC History *A timely, intriguing, original and provocative take on the most recent thirty thousand years of human history ... consistently thought-provoking ... In forcing us to re-examine some of the cosy assumptions about our deep past, Graeber and Wengrow remind us very clearly of the perils of holding ourselves captive to a deterministic vision of human history as we try to shape our future. -- James Suzman * Literary Review *An engrossing series of insights ... They re-inject humanity into our distant forebears, suggesting that our prevailing story about human history - that not much innovation occurred in human societies until the invention of agriculture - is utterly wrong. -- Anthony Doerr * Observer *Fascinating, thought-provoking, groundbreaking. A book that will generate debate for years to come. -- Rutger BregmanThe Dawn of Everything is also the radical revision of everything, liberating us from the familiar stories about humanity's past that are too often deployed to impose limitations on how we imagine humanity's future. Instead they tell us that what human beings are most of all is creative, from the beginning, so that there is no one way we were or should or could be. Another of the powerful currents running through this book is a reclaiming of Indigenous perspectives as a colossal influence on European thought, a valuable contribution to decolonizing global histories. -- Rebecca SolnitSynthesizing much recent scholarship, The Dawn of Everything briskly overthrows old and obsolete assumptions about the past, renews our intellectual and spiritual resources, and reveals, miraculously, the future as open-ended. It is the most bracing book I have read in recent years. -- Pankaj MishraThis is not a book. This is an intellectual feast. There is not a single chapter that does not (playfully) disrupt well seated intellectual beliefs. It is deep, effortlessly iconoclastic, factually rigorous, and pleasurable to read. -- Nassim Nicholas TalebA fascinating inquiry, which leads us to rethink the nature of human capacities, as well as the proudest moments of our own history, and our interactions with and indebtedness to the cultures and forgotten intellectuals of indigenous societies. Challenging and illuminating. -- Noam ChomskyThe book has captured the public imagination ... and is being cited as the reason why students apply to do archaeology courses. It's probably the biggest boost to the field since Indiana Jones escaped from the snake pit. -- Andrew Anthony * The Observer *Graeber and Wengrow have effectively overturned everything I ever thought about the history of the world ... The authors don't just debunk the myths, they give a thrilling intellectual history of how they came about, why they persist, and what it all means for the just future we hope to create. The most profound and exciting book I've read in thirty years. -- Robin D.G. Kelley, Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA, author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical ImaginationScholarly, irreverent, radical and genuinely ground-breaking - my kind of non-fiction. -- Emma DabiriA massive, bracing book that turns ideas like progress and civilization inside out. It looks at the past with excitement and the future with optimism and invites you to do the same. -- Frank Cottrell-Boyce * The Tablet *A fascinating, intellectually challenging big book about big ideas. * Kirkus *An act of intellectual effrontery that recalls Karl Marx ... The book's a gem. Its dense scholarly detail, compiling archaeological findings from some 30,000 years of global civilizations, is leavened by both freewheeling jokes and philosophic passages of startling originality ... The Dawn takes to the open sea to argue that things are, above all, subject to change. -- Virginia Heffernan * Wired *Are you looking for some hope in a dark season? The Dawn of Everything is a line of light at the edge of the world - an exploration of the radically different ways societies have been organised throughout time ... exciting, fresh and, yes, hopeful. -- Naomi Alderman * The Spectator *A work of dizzying ambition, one that seeks to rescue stateless societies from the condescension with which they're usually treated ... Our forebears crafted their societies intentionally and intelligently: This is the fundamental, electrifying insight of The Dawn of Everything. It's a book that refuses to dismiss long-ago peoples as corks floating on the waves of prehistory. Instead, it treats them as reflective political thinkers from whom we might learn something. -- Daniel Immerwahr * The Nation *Not content with different answers to the great questions of human history, Graeber and Wengrow insist on revolutionizing the very questions we ask. The result: a dazzling, original, and convincing account of the rich, playful, reflective, and experimental symposia that 'pre-modern' indigenous life represents; and a challenging re-writing of the intellectual history of anthropology and archaeology. The Dawn of Everything deserves to become the port of embarkation for virtually all subsequent work on these massive themes. Those who do embark will have, in the two Davids, incomparable navigators. -- James C. Scott, Sterling Professor of Political Science and Anthropology, Yale University, author of Seeing Like a StateGraeber and Wengrow debug cliches about humanity's deep history to open up our thinking about what's possible in the future. There is no more vital or timely project. -- Jaron LanierAs dense, dizzying and ambitious as the title suggests, it offers a new take on 30,000 years of humanity, suggesting our present-centric focus does a disservice to the fascinating lives of our forebears, and providing fresh context for the modern condition. * City A.M. *A truly crucial book ... an engrossing and revelatory re-examination of the human past challenges us to reject outdated ideas and consider new directions for our future. -- Natalie Bennett * Politic Home *A work that is at once dense, funny, thorough, joyful, unabashedly intelligent, and infinitely readable. * The Rumpus *

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Book SynopsisThe drama of Pompeii's end has been handed down by Roman writers, its paintings and mosaics have astonished visitors since their discovery and its houses and public buildings still present a vivid picture of life, disaster and death in a Roman town. This book includes a comprehensive account of its rise, splendour and fall.Trade Review'Dazzling . . . an excellent companion' - The New York Times'A triumph, a must for everyone interested in the most famous site of the ancient world. Beautifully written and magnificently illustrated, packed with fascinating information … Berry talks about Pompeii’s people, history, religion, society, art, culture and economic activity with a unique vividness, depth and breadth' - Sunday Telegraph'Highly readable and lavishly illustrated … a boon for archaeology buffs' - Publishers Weekly'Closely written, lavishly illustrated and aptly titled … from the moment you open the book you are assailed with images of this doomed city … Now, for an authentic taste of life in Pompeii you don’t need to fly to Italy and visit the site. Just read this book' - Minerva

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Book SynopsisPresents a fresh approach to reading ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, this introduction assumes no previous knowledge of grammar or ancient languages, but guides readers through the inscriptions, from simple to more complex, supported by full explanations and translations. It explains the mysteries of hieroglyphs without jargon or technical terms.Trade Review'Ever wanted to learn about Egyptian hieroglyphs? Here’s the book for you!' - Guardian'A refreshingly new approach to the subject … beautifully produced and illustrated in a manner that should make it appealing not only to the complete beginner at whom it is aimed, but also to those with a basic knowledge wishing to refresh their skills. I recommend it highly' - Ancient Egypt Magazine'A godsend … I am sure that Champollion would approve' - MinervaTable of ContentsPreface; 10 monuments of Egyptian officials with 22 ‘what you need to know’ sections; 12 texts of Egyptian pharaohs with 4 ‘what you need to know’ sections; 3 texts from the Old Kingdom with 1 ‘what you need to know’ section; 2 inscriptions that bring everything together with 1 ‘what you need to know’ section

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2008 'The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy' Laura Silverman, Daily Mail The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains, as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; or the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one; or the massive death count, maybe less than ten per cent of the population. An extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's favourite classicist.Trade ReviewThis marvellous book won the Wolfson History Prize and is a model of subtle but accessible writing about the past -- Judith Rice * Guardian *Classicist Mary Beard has had a great time rooting about that ghostly place, and she has brought it quite splendidly back to life. -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *To the vast field of Pompeiiana she brings the human touch... this absorbing, inquisitive and affectionate account of Pompeii is a model of its kind. Beard has caught the quick of what was and, in our lives today, remains the same. -- Ross Leckie * The Times *Very readable and excellently researched... Beard's clear-sighted and accessible style makes this a compelling look into history. -- Alexander Larman * Observer *If you want to know what really happened in the last days of the petrified city, Beard's meticulous reconstruction will fill you in, scraping away many of your preconceptions as it goes, while her evocative writing will transport you back. * Guardian *The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy ... scrutinising and animated in equal measure. -- Laura Silverman * Daily Mail *A brilliant portrait ... this meticulous, vivid study of life in the town rightly and resolutely focuses on the living city. -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisFlint Knapping is a journey of archaeological discovery through the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

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Book SynopsisAuthors of Forbidden Archeology present evidence of ancient human existence, challenging mainstream scientific beliefs. Over 2 centuries, researchers found bones and artifacts suggesting humans lived millions of years ago. The scientific community has dismissed this evidence due to conflicting views on human origins and antiquity.

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Book SynopsisThis informed and richly illustrated guidebook brings the ancient city of Akhetaten alive with a keen archaeological eye, drawing on ongoing archaeological research and the knowledge and insight of Amarna’s modern-day communities and caretakers to explain key monuments and events, while offering invaluable practical advice for visiting the site. With over 140 illustrations, maps, and plans, Amarna is both an ideal introduction for visitors to Amarna and a window onto the extraordinary reign of Akhenaten. Huge open-air temples served the cult of Aten, while palaces were decorated with painted pavements and inlaid wall reliefs. Akhenaten created a new royal burial ground deep in a desert valley, and his officials built elaborate tombs decorated with scenes of the king and his city. As thousands of people moved to Akhetaten, it became the most important city in Egypt. But it was not to last. Akhenaten’s death brought the abandonment of his city and an end to one of the most startling episodes in Egyptian history. Today, Akhetaten is known as Amarna, a sprawling archaeological site in the province of Minya, halfway between Cairo and Luxor. With its beautifully decorated tombs and vast mud-brick ruins, it is the best-preserved pharaonic city in Egypt.Trade Review"Providing a handy reference guide to the chronology, geography and main players in the story, this book will allow visitors to bring with them the definitive guide to the site. At once scholarly and also entirely accessible, it will instantly become indispensable for enthusiasts, students and scholars of the period and the place. I look forward to my copy becoming increasingly dog-eared with each visit I make to the site in future."—Chris Naunton, author of Egyptologists' Notebooks"Part academic-reference, part field-guide, this book presents a dramatic and exciting story. . . Armana provides tremendous insight for Egyptologists and scholars into daily life in Egypt 3,000 years ago."—AramcoWorldTable of ContentsCONTENTSINTRODUCTION Who Was Who? Akhenaten’s Predecessors Akhenaten and His Family Secondary Royal Figures Coregents and Successors CHRONOLOGY SETTING THE SCENE Amenhotep III and Akhenaten’s Early Years Rise of the Solar Cult Akhenaten as King: Change on the Horizon Denouncing the Gods Amarna: Building a Vision A City of People Akhetaten What Kind of City? The Aten Cult Supplying the City Securing Akhetaten An Emerging City Akhenaten’s Amarna Years A Collapsing Dynasty A City Abandoned Rediscovering Amarna Discovering City Life How Can We Recover the Past? Viewing Akhetaten from Afar VISITING AMARNA Getting There and Around Accommodation Ticket Office and Opening Hours Amarna Visitor CentreFood, Drinks, Toilets, and Shopping Accessibility Tips for Visiting NORTH CITY AND PALACES Abandoned Dig House North Riverside Palace North Palace EASTERN CLIFFS AND DESERT Desert Altars The North TombsBoundary Stela U Royal Wadi and Tombs The Royal Tomb North Suburb CENTRAL CITY Great Aten Temple Royal Road Bridge to the King’s House Great Palace and Smenkhkare Hall Small Aten Temple Administrative QuartersSOUTHERN CITY AND TEMPLES An Ancient Villa Main City South Tombs Kom al-Nana FURTHER INFORMATION CONTRIBUTORS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Book SynopsisWhat does the Rosetta Stone tell us about the past? What treasures of Egyptian literature can now be read, thanks to its decipherment? What does it tell us about the history of writing and the story of our own alphabets? How do decipherments work and how can we know if they are right? Who owns the Rosetta Stone and what happens if we start to return pieces of the past to countries who claim them? These are some of the fascinating questions which are explored in this introduction to one of the true Wonders of the World.Trade Review...successfully captures the West's fascination with Egypt. Always the master of his subject, he entertains rather than lectures, is sparing with minutiae but still finds space for telling detail. -- Anthony Sattin * Sunday Times *Highly readable ...Professor Ray takes us on an ancient journey from this sunset of the ancient Egyptian world. * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThis is not simply a guidebook to the Acropolis Museum: by presenting the works of art exhibited in the museum, it endeavours to resynthesize the history of the Sacred Rock as part of the cultural and the wider historical process of Athens. Following the sequence of the visitor’s tour of the museum, it is lavishly illustrated with photographs, as well as with numerous plans and reconstruction drawings, which enable the reader to understand each of the fragmentarily preserved works in its context. It also answers many of the questions raised in the discerning reader’s mind: what was the size and the population of ancient Athens? what is the meaning of the beasts represented on the large Archaic pediments? what do the Korai statues represent? why did the Erechtheion become so complex and what was the role of the Karyatids? why was the temple of Athena Nike built in the Ionic order? what led Pericles and his advisers to opt for the specific building programme and how were the major public works financed? why was it decided to place an Ionic frieze on the Doric Parthenon? what political messages were transmitted to Sparta through the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon?Table of ContentsATHENS IN THE MUSEUM BASEMENTS ASCENDING… to the exhibition space and the slopes of the Sacred Rock HOUSES AND MINOR SANCTUARIES Τhe sanctuary of Nymphe The Asklepieion The sanctuary of Dionysos and the theatre THE ACROPOLIS PREHISTORY THE ARCHAIC ACROPOLIS Τhe pediments Τhe ex-votos The korai THE ACROPOLIS DURING THE PERSIAN WARS Works in the ‘Severe Style’ THE CLASSICAL ACROPOLIS ΜONUMENTS OF THE SACRED ROCK OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM THE PROPYLAIA THE TEMPLE OF ATHENA or WINGLESS NIKE ΤHE ERECHTHEION The Karyatids and the frieze EX-VOTOS ON THE ACROPOLIS THE PARTHENON Historical and political background Architectural features THE SCULPTED DECORATION The metopes The frieze The role of the frieze Frieze and art Frieze and politics The coloration of the monuments Τhe pediments Stylistic and interpretative approach The akroteria of the Parthenon Τhe cult statue Ideology and politics in the Acropolis monuments BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the RUNCIMAN AWARD, 2021Medicine is one of the great fields of achievement of the Ancient Greeks. Hippocrates is celebrated worldwide as the father of medicine and the Hippocratic Oath is admired throughout the medical profession as a founding statement of ethics and ideals. In the fifth century BC, Greeks even wrote of medicine as a newly discovered craft they had invented.Robin Lane Fox''s remarkable book puts their invention of medicine in a wider context, from the epic poems of Homer to the first doctors known to have been active in the Greek world. He examines what we do and do not know about Hippocrates and his Oath and the many writings that survive under his name. He then focuses on seven core texts which give the case histories of named individuals, showing that books 1 and 3 belong far earlier than previously recognised. Their re-dating has important consequences for the medical awareness of the great Greek dramatists and the historians Herodotus and Thucydides. Robin Lane Fox pieces together the doctor''s thinking from his terse observations and relates it in a new way to the history of Greek prose and ideas.This original and compelling book opens windows onto many other aspects of the classical world, from women''s medicine to street-life, empire, art, sport, sex and even botany. It fills a dark decade in a new way and carries readers along an extraordinary journey form Homer''s epics to the grateful heirs of the Greek case histories, first in the Islamic world and then in early modern Europe.Trade ReviewIn this engaging history by the biographer of Alexander the Great, lightened with wry donnish wit... readers can enjoy a vivid ride through a part of Greece little visited in either body or mind. -- Peter Stothard * Financial Times *an exciting addition to a flurry of books on ancient medicine in recent years ... Lane Fox, who is known for his originality and his exceptionally broad interests as a historian, which range from Alexander the Great to Augustine, built The Invention of Medicine: From Homer to Hippocrates on a decades' worth of impressive scholarship ... His account of early Greek medicine is an engaging, well informed introduction to the complex reality of the world of healing in ancient Greece. Drawing on as many sources as possible, yet making complex data accessible to a wide audience, Lane Fox describes the skills of doctors and the experiences of their patients with gusto ... groundbreaking -- Caroline Petit * The Lancet *My favourite book from our lock-down times is The Invention of Medicine by Robin Lane Fox, a great Oxford classicist's contribution to the most needed discipline of the day. By original and skilful argument, it shows how some of the direct observations attributed to Hippocrates, the 'father of medicine', dated by him earlier than most of us had thought before, influenced Thucydides and other writers at the very birth of reasoned history. -- Peter Stothard * Aspects of History Books of the Year *a most welcome contribution to this ever-growing field by one of today's most eminent voices in ancient history. In his latest book, Robin Lane Fox, probably best known for his work on Alexander the Great and Augustine, offers a refreshing and at points ground-breaking revision of the beginnings of ancient Greek medicine ... In his attempt to disentangle and revise the 'invention of medicine' as a highly complex and multifaceted phenomenon in early medical history Robin Lane Fox succeeds brilliantly in constructing a narrative that is, at the same time, innovative and introductive, informative and entertaining, thoroughly historical yet with the occasional contemporary twist. Writing in an accessible style, aimed at both a general and informed readership and abounding in donnish wit, Lane Fox takes his reader on a scholarly joyride -- Michiel Meeusen * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Radically, Lane Fox is keen to date Books One and Three of the Epidemics very early in the story of the development of Greek medicine, much earlier than anyone else has done ... The case is ingenious ... He knows how to pace a narrative and he has a raconteur's eye for detail. -- Alastair Blanshard * Times Literary Supplement *Lane Fox leads us down intriguing paths of epigraphy, political history, philology and archaeology -- James Romm * London Review of Books *Robin Lane Fox's remarkable The Invention of Medicine brings to vivid life the island city of Thasos in the fifth century bc, when it was home to the author of books of case studies now called Epidemics I and 3, whose details are so forensic that we can diagnose his patients' ailments and pinpoint their addresses in the modern city. Around these works Lane Fox weaves a compelling history of Greek medicine, before arguing that they betray such scientific rigour that their author can be none other than Hippocrates himself. -- David Stuttard * Aspects of History Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisDeep in the Jordanian desert lies the hidden rose red city of Petra, carved directly out of the solid rock that rises in sharp ridges above the sands. Recent excavations provide new information about this mysterious, beautiful and dramatic site.

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Book SynopsisAs well as vividly exploring the tales, the author brings her expertise in the archaeology of the Iron Age and particularly shamanism to bear on the mythical worlds she describes, with evidence as diverse as the Gundestrup Cauldron and the famous bog bodies. She also asks how the myths survived the Christianization of Europe.Trade Review'A magical miscellany of myths' - The Times'A very scholarly but eminently readable and accessible guide to the Celtic myths' - Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsPrelude: The Celtic World: Space, Time and Evidence; 1 Word of Mouth: Making Myths; 2 The Myth Spinners; 3 A Plethora of Irish Spirits; 4 Enchanted Wales: A Magical Land; 5 The Champion’s Portion: Mythical Heroes; 6 Enchanting Animals and Edgy Beings; 7 Dangerous Liaisons: Monstrous Regiments of Women; 8 Land and Water: A Seethe of Spirits; 9 Heaven and Hell: Paradise and the Underworld; Finale: Paganism and Christianity: The Transformation of Myth

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Book SynopsisAs in ‘Britain B.C.’ and ‘Britain A.D.’ (also accompanied by Channel 4 series), eminent archaeologist Francis Pryor challenges familiar historical views of the Middle Ages by examining fresh evidence from the ground.Trade Review‘Pryor's performance in this book remains a hugely entertaining one.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘[The book lets in] new and fascinating light.’ Scotsman 'Francis Pryor is that rare combination of a first-rate working archaeologist and a good writer, with priceless ability of being able to explain complex ideas clearly…Herein lies a great pleasure of Pryor's writing…The author's eclectic interests and his passion for a past he considers deeply relevant to the present drive “Britain in the Middle Ages”. This is popular archaeology at its best: engaging, knowledgeable and provocative, driven by the author's zestful, insatiable curiosity. One can only hope that Pryor makes good his threat to write a book on the archaeology of the 20th century. It will be an eye-opener.'’ Times Higher Educational Supplement

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Book SynopsisThe ancient Near East is known as the cradle of civilization - and for good reason. Mesopotamia, Syria, and Anatolia were home to an extraordinarily rich and successful culture. Indeed, it was a time and place of earth-shaking changes for humankind: the beginnings of writing and law, kingship and bureaucracy, diplomacy and state-sponsored warfare, mathematics and literature.This Very Short Introduction offers a fascinating account of this momentous time in human history. The three thousand years covered here - from around 3500 BCE, with the founding of the first Mesopotamian cities, to the conquest of the Near East by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE-represent a period of incredible innovation, from the invention of the wheel and the plow, to early achievements in astronomy, law, and diplomacy. As historian Amanda Podany explores this era, she overturns the popular image of the ancient world as a primitive, violent place. We discover that women had many rights and freedoms: they could own property, run businesses, and represent themselves in court. Diplomats traveled between the capital cities of major powers ensuring peace and friendship between the kings. Scribes and scholars studied the stars and could predict eclipses and the movements of the planets.Every chapter introduces the reader to a particular moment in ancient Near Eastern history, illuminating such aspects as trade, religion, diplomacy, law, warfare, kingship, and agriculture. Each discussion focuses on evidence provided in two or three cuneiform texts from that time. These documents, the cities in which they were found, the people and gods named in them, the events they recount or reflect, all provide vivid testimony of the era in which they were written. About the Series:Oxford''s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThe book is a short, comprehensive and accessible way to first get in touch with a new subject...[It] can be useful for readers who do not know anything about the aforementioned region and its history, such as first term students. * Bibliotheca Orientalis *Table of ContentsList of illustrations ; Note on translations ; Acknowledgments ; 1 Archaeology and environment ; 2 The beginning of cities, 3600-2900 BCE ; 3 The Early Dynastic period, 2900-2340 BCE ; 4 The Akkadian empire, 2334-2112 BCE ; 5 The Third Dynasty of Ur, 2112-2026 BCE ; 6 The old Assyrian colonies, 1950-1740 BCE ; 7. The Old Babylonian period, 2017-1595 BCE ; 8. The Late Bronze Age, 1595-1155 BCE ; 9. The Neo-Assyrian empire, 972-612 BCE ; 10. The Neo-Babylonian empire, 612-539 BCE ; Chronology ; References ; Further reading ; Index

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Book Synopsis''So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw...'' In this superb collection of tales, Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance come together to form a fascinating, deep-seated and powerful interpretation of British history. The tales include the story of the shape-shifter, Gwydion, who created a woman out of flowers; a murdered husband turned into an eagle; Math the magician; a magical board, dragons witches and giants.These wondrous creatures live in the same world as kings and heroes, quests for honour, and stories of revenge, chivalry, honour and love. THE MABINOGIAN remains one of the greatest and most influential works of myth and legend ever created.Trade ReviewA magnificent achievement ... it is hard to think that in scholarship or as a piece of English prose the present translation will ever be bettered * THE WELSH REVIEW *Magisterial ... the authoritative translation, notable for its meticulous scholarship and a fine literary style * OXFORD COMPANION TO THE LITERATURE OF WALES *

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Book SynopsisFierce warriors and skilled craftsmen, the Celts were famous throughout the Ancient Mediterranean World. They were the archetypal barbarians from the north and were feared by both Greeks and Romans. For two and a half thousand years they have continued to fascinate those who have come into contact with them, yet their origins have remained a mystery and even today are the subject of heated debate among historians and archaeologists.Barry Cunliffe''s classic study of the ancient Celtic world was first published in 1997. Since then huge advances have taken place in our knowledge: new finds, new ways of using DNA records to understand Celtic origins, new ideas about the proto-urban nature of early chieftains'' strongholds, All these developments are part of this fully updated , and completely redesigned edition.Cunliffe explores the archaeological reality of these bold warriors and skilled craftsmen of barbarian Europe who inspired fear in both the Greeks and the Romans. He investigates the texts of the classical writers and contrasts their view of the Celts with current archaeological findings. Tracing the emergence of chiefdoms and the fifth- to third-century migrations as far as Bosnia and the Czech Republic, he assesses the disparity between the traditional story and the most recent historical and archaeological evidence on the Celts.Other aspects of Celtic identity such as the cultural diversity of the tribes, their social and religious systems, art, language and law, are also examined. From the picture that emerges, we are -- crucially -- able to distinguish between the original Celts, and those tribes which were ''Celtized'', giving us an invaluable insight into the true identity of this ancient people.Trade ReviewArchaeologist Barry Cunliffe brings up to date his classic work on the Ancient Celts, those fierce warriors and skilled craftsmen who were famous throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. In this fully updated, and completely redesigned edition, Cunliffe assesses the disparity between the traditional story and the most recent historical and archaeological evidence on the Celts. * Timeless Travels *This book is of wider significance than just a volume for the general readership. It matters. It is at the forefront of a battle in Iron Age scholarship and the presentation of different ideas to the public, a battle which through publications like this one and others, Cunliffe is currently winning hands down. This is a fine book combining scholarly erudition and depth with popular appeal. Professor Cunliffe is one of the few academics able to achieve this fine balance. * Dr Jody Joy, The Prehistoric Society *Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition 1: Visions of the Celts 2: Constructing the Historical Celts 3: In the Beginning: 5500-1300 BC 4: The Atlantic System: 1300-200 BC 5: Western Central Europe and the Mediterranean:1300-450 BC 6: The Migrations: 450-50 BC 7: The Communities of the Atlantic Façade 8: Celts and Others on the Eastern Fringes 9: Warfare and Society 10: The Arts of the Migration Period 11: Religious Systems 12: The Developed Celtic World 13: The Celts in Retreat 14: Celtic Survival 15: Retrospect A Guide to Further Reading Chronological Tables Map Section Illustration Sources Index

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Book SynopsisAn expert and fascinating guide to the history, mythology and religion of one of the world's first great civilizations, and a detailed guide to its awe-inspiring temples and tombs, sumptuously illustrated with 750 photographs and images.

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Book SynopsisThe Abydos mortuary complex includes a royal tomb and a temple established for the afterlife cult of pharaoh Khakaure-Senwosret III. Excavation of the temple's well-preserved architecture in tandem with work on its surroundings now provides the basis for a detailed reconstruction of this major Middle Kingdom royal mortuary temple.Trade Review Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Plates List of Abbreviations Preface Bibliography PART I: THE MORTUARY COMPLEX AND TEMPLE OF SENWOSRET III AT SOUTH ABYDOS Introduction Chapter 1: The Mortuary Complex of Senwosret III PART II: THE MUDBRICK CONTAINMENT BUILDING Chapter 2: Architectural features and Design Principles of the Temple Chapter 3: Control Notes, Team Marks, and the Temple's Construction Sequence Chapter 4: The Architecture of the Outer Temple Chapter 5: The East Block Chapter 6: The West Block Chapter 7: The Central Water Channel System PART III: THE ARCHITECTURE AND DECORATIVE PROGRAM OF THE SENWOSRET III CULT BUILDING AND FORECOURT Chapter 8: The Columned Forecourt Chapter 9: The Foundations and Exterior Architecture of the Cult Building Chapter 10: The Interior Architecture of the Cult Building Chapter 11: The Interior Relief Decoration of the Cult Building Chapter 12: The Exterior Relief Decoration of the Cult Building and Forecourt Chapter 13: The Royal Statuary Chapter 14: Comparative Lexicographic and Functional Analysis of the Senwosret III Cult Building and Forecourt Chapter 15: An Architectural Model of the Cult Building Nfr-K and its Forecourt Chapter 16: Observations on the Position of the Senwosret III Mortuary Building in the Development of the Royal Mortuary Temple PART IV: THE TEMPLE'S CERAMIC ASSEMBLAGE, REFUSE DEPOSITS AND EXTERNAL ACTIVITY AREAS Chapter 17: The Ceramic Assemblage of the Senwosret III Temple Chapter 18: The Temple's External Refuse Deposits Chapter 19: Satellite Activity Areas: The Temple Production Area, Temple Cemetery and Quartzite Debris Field PART V: THE TEMPLE'S SEALING CORPUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION Chapter 20: The Sealing Assemblage, Decorative Scarab and Royal Name Sealings Chapter 21: The Stamp Seal Corpus and Institutional Structure of the Senwosret III Mortuary Cult Chapter 22: Name and Title Scarab Sealings PART VI: THE SENWOSRET III TOMB AND TOMB ENCLOSURE Appendix 1: The Senwosret III Tomb Enclosure Appendix 2: The Subterranean Tomb of Senwosret III Appendix 3: The Stela of Nebipusenwosret (BM 101) and its Association with the Cult of Senwosret III at Abydos Concluding Observations Index I: General Index II: Egyptian personal Names Index III: Egyptian Words, Phrases and Titles Plates

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Book SynopsisIntroduces students of ancient history to the various ways in which coins can help illuminate the history of the Roman republic, with over 200 larger-than-life-size illustrations and detailed captions. Demystifies the more technical aspects of the field of numismatics and culminates in a how-to guide for further research for non-specialists.Table of Contents1. Money; 2. Monuments; 3. Mutinies?; 4. Mobilization; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe ancient Egyptians were firmly convinced of the importance of magic, which was both a source of supernatural wisdom and a means of affecting one’s own fate. The gods themselves used it for creating the world, granting mankind magical powers as an aid to the struggle for existence. Magic formed a link between human beings, gods, and the dead. Magicians were the indispensable guardians of the god-given cosmic order, learned scholars who were always searching for the Magic Book of Thoth, which could explain the wonders of nature. Egyptian Magic, illustrated with wonderful and mysterious objects from European museum collections, describes how Egyptian sorcerers used their craft to protect the weakest members of society, to support the gods in their fight against evil, and to imbue the dead with immortality, and explores the arcane systems and traditions of the occult that governed this well-organized universe of ancient Egypt.Trade Review"This volume is very richly illustrated . . . .The described Egyptian practices and objects are introduced and presented in an excellent way."—Bibliotheca OrientalisTable of ContentsA present of the gods From wisdom to the black arts The battle of good and evil Principal parts The magicians of Egypt Witches and sorcerers High school for magicians The premier league Surfing through the cosmos Cosmic internet Search for the laws of nature Knowledge is power Sacred writing The practice of magic Showing one’s colors Knowledge of commodities The right time and place Knotty points Books of magic A magical toolbox Tracking down Khaemwas An end and a new beginning The Egyptian insurance system Women and children first Doctor for invisible ailments Home insurance Foul and fair The vigilant authorities Battle at the temple gate Sports and leisure Spontaneous generation Sex and violence A magical funerary policy Troublesome deceased Going out by day The body as a microcomos The daily bread Eternal life Fighting evil Free travel At the weightwatchers’ The quest for enlightenment Changing world Eastern wisdom A Christian varnish Jinns and buried pearls European Enlightenment From witchcraft to Egyptomania Moses and the sting-fish Good chemistry The rediscovery of Thoth’s book of magic

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Book SynopsisThe latter part of the fifteenth century bc saw Egypt's political power reach its zenith, with an empire that stretched from beyond the Euphrates in the north to much of what is now Sudan in the south. The wealth that flowed into Egypt allowed its kings to commission some of the most stupendous temples of all time, some of the greatest dedicated to Amun-Re, King of the Gods. Yet a century later these temples lay derelict, the god's images, names, and titles all erased in an orgy of iconoclasm by Akhenaten, the devotee of a single sun-god. This book traces the history of Egypt from the death of the great warrior-king Thutmose III to the high point of Akhenaten's reign, when the known world brought gifts to his newly-built capital city of Amarna, in particular looking at the way in which the cult of the sun became increasingly important to even 'orthodox' kings, culminating in the transformation of Akhenaten's father, Amenhotep III, into a solar deity in his own right.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Maps Abbreviations and Conventions Preface Introduction: Sunrise 1. The Noonday Sun 2. The Waning Sun 3. The Northern Problem 4. The Living Image of Amun 5. The Zananzash Affair 6. God’s Father to God 7. The Hawk in Festival 8. Sunset Notes Appendices 1. Chronology of Ancient Egypt 2. Relative Chronology of Egyptian and Foreign Kings of the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Dynasties 3. Royal Names of the Late Eighteenth Dynasty 4. Tentative Genealogy of the Late Eighteenth Dynasty Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis** WINNER OF THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE 2021 **''Beautiful, evocative, authoritative.'' Professor Brian Cox''Important reading not just for anyone interested in these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in humanity.' Yuval Noah HarariKindred is the definitive guide to the Neanderthals. Since their discovery more than 160 years ago, Neanderthals have metamorphosed from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins.Rebecca Wragg Sykes uses her experience at the cutting edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland. She reveals them to be curious, clever connoisseurs of their world, technologically inventive and ecologically adaptable. Above all, they were successful survivors for more than 300,000 years, during times of massive climatic upheaval.Much of what defines us was also in Neanderthals, and their DNA is still inside us. PlTrade ReviewImportant reading not just for anyone interested in these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in humanity. - Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens * The New York Times *Beautiful, evocative, authoritative. Kindred is a beautifully written exploration of our fast-developing understanding of Neanderthals and their culture and a compelling insight into how modern science is revealing the secrets of an extinct species who, for 350 thousand years before Homo Sapiens became dominant, inhabited a world “as wide and rich as the Roman Empire.” -- Professor Brian Cox, Physicist and TV presenterRebecca Wragg-Sykes's fact-packed but highly readable book puts us right with a superbly authoritative guided tour of much new evidence. It's tempting to say, "If you read only one book about the Neanderthals, read this one" -- except that if the next 20 years provide as many revelations about our ancestors as the past 20 have done, she will need to produce just as weighty a second volume. -- Richard Morrison * The Times *Blending cutting-edge science with lyrical storytelling, Rebecca Wragg Sykes paints a detailed portrait of our enigmatic relatives. -- Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist, author and broadcasterWritten with such pleasing, elegant prose, Kindred is a captivating ode to the subtle complexities of palaeoanthropology – the thrill of discovery, the frustrating gaps in the evidence, the tantalising question marks hovering above our favourite ideas. Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes balances admirable scientific caution with her joyous enthusiasm, and the result is a generous, enthralling history of how we first came to know our ancient cousins, and how we’re still getting to know them today. -- Greg Jenner, historian and author‘Kindred is a thrillingly full account of what we currently know about the Neanderthals… Wragg Sykes' project is to write about Neanderthals as an end in themselves, not as a failed version of humanity.’ * London Review of Books *Rebecca Wragg Sykes’s book paints a vivid portrait of our adaptable ancient relatives ... immersive. -- Josie Glausiusz * Nature *Kindred is a tour de force. A rich and beautiful synthesis of all that is known about Neanderthal biology and culture, it should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of humanity. -- Dr Tori Herridge, palaeontologist and TV presenter‘The knowledge condensed here is certainly impressive … Rebecca Wragg Sykes has studied their landscapes, territories and tools and emerges as an expert and enthusiastic character witness for Neanderthals and their way of life. Neanderthals probably didn’t have PR, but they do now.’ * Guardian *Wragg Sykes paints a fascinating picture of a field transformed almost beyond recognition over the past 30 years. -- Simon Ings * New Scientist *Current, compelling, well researched, beautifully written and poetical, Kindred is like no other book you've read on Neanderthals. -- Professor Lee. R. Berger, University of WitwatersrandTable of ContentsA Note on Names Introduction Chapter 1: The First Face Chapter 2: The River Fells the Tree Chapter 3: Bodies Growing Chapter 4: Bodies Living Chapter 5: Ice and Fire Chapter 6: The Rocks Remain Chapter 7: Material World Chapter 8: Eat and Live Chapter 9: Chez Neanderthal Chapter 10: Into the Land Chapter 11: Beautiful Things Chapter 12: Minds Inside Chapter 13: Many Ways to Die Chapter 14: Time Travellers in the Blood Chapter 15: Denouements Chapter 16: Immortal Beloved Epilogue Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisAn introduction for students, teachers, and lay readers to the delights of exploring the world of ancient Greece.Trade ReviewWell-written and exceptionally well-illustrated.... An invaluable guidebook for people who want to visit Greece and understand what it is they are seeing. * Times Literary Supplement *An excellent book which should find a ready audience among teachers and students as the standard handbook for classes in Greek archaeology. * Classical Outlook *Biers' book is an excellent and comprehensive introduction to the subject; this new edition retains its original virtues of reliability, clarity and readability, and adds to its already generous quota of illustrations. It should continue to be a standard textbook for years to come. -- Ruth Westgate * Classical Bulletin *For a history of the art of sculpture, painting, and architecture of Classical Greece and her immediate ancestors, The Archaeology of Greece is an excellent choice. * Archaeology Newsletter *Teachers, students, and travelers should be grateful to author and press for the timely production of a well-balanced, informative, and stimulating introduction. * Archaeology *William Biers' first edition of this book served well a generation of scholars and lay people alike as a standard introduction. A second edition of this valuable work is, therefore, most welcomed.... The Archaeology of Greece is the best general introduction to the subject. Biers' command of the subject, his engaging writing style, and the wealth of illustrations make this work in its second edition a joy to read and use. -- Thomas V. Brisco * Southwestern Journal of Theology *Table of ContentsPreface Preface to the Second Edition Abbreviations1. Archaeology in Greece 2. The Minoans 3. The Mycenaeans 4. The Dark Ages 5. The Geometric Period 6. The Orientalizing Period 7. The Archaic Period 8. The Fifth Century 9. The Fourth Century 10. The Hellenistic Age EpilogueSuggestions for Further Reading Select Bibliography Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisTells the Greek story through the interconnecting lives of the men and women who shaped its politics and literature, its science and philosophy, its art and sport.Trade Review'A few great men operating in isolation – too often this is the way ancient Greece is described to us. Stuttard puts the very greatest into their historical, political and cultural contexts and coaxes some of the lesser known centre stage' - Bettany Hughes, author and historian'David Stuttard's career represents an admirable commitment to popularizing classical culture and making it accessible to new non-specialist audiences' - Current World ArchaeologyTable of ContentsIntroduction • 1. Of Gods and Heroes • 2. The Age of Tyrants • 3. Greece in Peril • 4. The Age of Pericles • 5. World War • 6. Fall Out • 7. The Age of the Dynasts • 8. In the Shadow of Rome • 9. Lives in a Mirror

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Book SynopsisThere was probably only one past, but there are many different histories. As mental representations of narrow segments of the past, 'histories' reflect different cultural contexts and different historians, although 'history' is a scientific enterprise whenever it processes representative data using rational and controllable methods to work out hypotheses that can be falsified by empirical evidence. A History of Biblical Israel combines experience gained through decades of teaching biblical exegesis and courses on the history of ancient Israel, and of on-going involvement in biblical archaeology. 'Biblical Israel' is understood as a narrative produced primarily in the province of Yehud to forge the collective memory of the elite that operated the temple of Jerusalem under the auspices of the Achaemenid imperial apparatus. The notion of 'Biblical Israel' provides the necessary hindsight to narrate the fate of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah as the pre-history of 'Biblical Israel', since the archives of these kingdoms were only mined in the Persian era to produce the grand biblical narrative.The volume covers the history of 'Biblical Israel' through its fragmentation in the Hellenistic and Roman periods until 136 CE, when four Roman legions crushed the revolt of Simeon Bar-Kosiba.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Part I: The Pre-History of Biblical Israel 1. From Merenptah to Ramses 2. From Ephraim to Mamre 3. From Saul to Jeroboam I 4. From Omri to Jeroboam II 5. From Tiglath-Pileser to Ashurbanipal 6. From Nabopolassar to Nebuchadnezzar Part II: The Formation of Biblical Israel 7. From Nebuchadnezzar to Xerxes I 8. From Artaxerxes I to Ptolemy I Part III: Disintegration of Biblical Israel 9. From Ptolemy II to Antiochus III 10. From Antiochus III to Salome Alexandra 11. 'Pax' Romana and Jewish Wars Glossary

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Book SynopsisMade from walrus ivory some time between AD 1150 and 1200, the Lewis Chessmen are iconic artefacts from the early medieval period. This concise book provides a guide to the history of these chess pieces including the story of their discovery in 1831, followed by skulduggery, deception and controversy as they were sold off to various parties including the British Museum, where most of them are found today. Issues of the raw materials used, the skill of the craftsmen, their place of origin, stylistic features are placed within the context of the game of chess in medieval Europe.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2008 'The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy' Laura Silverman, Daily Mail The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains, as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; or the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one; or the massive death count, maybe less than ten per cent of the population. An extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's favourite classicist.Trade ReviewThe world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy...Scrutinising and animated in equal measure -- Laura Silverman * Daily Mail *A thoroughly worthy winner of the 2008 Wolfson History Prize, Mary Beard's bedroom-to-boardroom tour of the life of a Roman town is disgracefully enjoyable for such a deeply learned and sceptically debunking book -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *This marvellous book won the Wolfson History Prize and is a model of subtle but accessible writing about the past -- Judith Rice * Guardian *[A] brilliant portrait...This meticulous, vivid study of life in the town, the winner of the 2008 Wolfson History Prize, rightly and resolutely focuses on the living city -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *Classicist Mary Beard has had a great time rooting about that ghostly place and she has brought it quite splendidly back to life -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *To the vast field of Pompeiana she brings the human touch...This absorbing, inquisitive and affectionate account of Pompeii is a model of its kind. Beard has caught the quick of what was and, in our lives today, remains the same -- Ross Leckie * The Times *Very readable and excellently researched... Beard's clear-sighted and accessible style makes this a compelling look into history -- Alexander Larman * The Observer *If you want to know what really happened in the last days of the petrified city, Beard's meticulous reconstruction will fill you in, scraping away many of your preconceptions as it goes, while her evocative writing will transport you back * Guardian Best Holiday Books *Wonderful piece of scholarship worn lightly and wittily -- Tom Widger * Sunday Tribune *Wittily written...evoking in all who read it the insatiable need to see the town for themselves -- Georgie Durkheim * Catholic Herald *A myth-breaking expedition, grandiose in scale, vibrant in its telling -- Colin Gardiner * Oxford Times *Engaging and defiantly otherworldly * Business Destinations *A learned and fascinating book * Guardian *In this brilliant portrait of the "life in a Roman town", Mary Beard uses the relics buried by the eruption on AD79 to bring everyday Roman culture alive.' * Sunday Times *Compelling * Independent *

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