Archaeology by period / region Books

Book SynopsisAnimals pervade our lives, both today and in the past. From the smallest bug through pets and agricultural animals to elephants and blue whales, the animals themselves, animal-derived products and representations of animals can be found everywhere in our daily lives. This book focuses on the representations of animals in the past: How were animals represented in iconography, and how is the craftsperson interpreting animals within his or her own cultural context? What do the representations tell us about the role and function of both animals and the representations themselves? A series of papers explore these questions through images of animals. This is, for example, done by using technologies like 3D models to emphasize the dimensionality of objects, or through theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches that examine the intersection of the human and the animal. The papers challenge the notion of animals purely as objects, instead focusing on the many ways in which humans and animals interact. The importance of animals in all aspects of our lives means that the study of human-animal relations is an extremely relevant one both in the past and today. The papers take us on a journey through time and space, demonstrating exactly this relevance. Starting in the Neolithic and ending in the Medieval period, from the Mediterranean and Northern Europe through Siberia and the Baltic to the other side of the world in Australia, we have the privilege of encountering lions, horses, dogs, monkeys, birds, kangaroos and octopuses, among many other wonderful creatures. The book is an important and exciting contribution to the study of human-animal relations. It should be of interest to anyone working on this topic and the interpretation of images - both modern and ancient.Trade Review"A young and fresh attempt to tackle a subject which has long stood in the shadow of the study and interpretation of anthropomorphic imagery." Professor Louis Nebelsick, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, WarsawTable of Contents1. Introduction: The Third Dimension and Animal Iconography in Archaeology Laerke Recht and Katarzyna Zeman-Wiśniewska 2. Zoomorphic Terracotta Figurines in Halaf Culture and New Evidence of Secondary Products Exploitation in the 6th Millennium BC in Northern Mesopotamia Nicola Scheyhing, PhD Candidate, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg 3. Neolithic Vessels with Animal Characteristics: Modifications of Material Corporeal Signs, Negotiations of Clay Bodyscapes Evangelia Voulgari, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 4. The Minoan Monkey: Ties between the Aegean and Indus River Valley via Mesopotamia Marie Nicole Pareja, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Millersville University and Pennsylvania State University 5. How Many Tentacles? Octo-pus and x-pus in the Greek Bronze Age: A New Archaeozoological Approach Lucia Alberti, National Research Council of Italy, and Giambattista Bello, University of Bari (retired) 6. Bird-shaped Vessels of Bronze Age Cyprus as Three-dimensional Objects Katarzyna Zeman-Wiśniewska 7. ‘Flying Gallop’ Iconography and its Representations in the Burial Rites of the Eurasian Bronze Age Emma Usmanova, Saryarka Archaeological Institute. Buketov Karaganda State University (Kazakhstan), Olga Gumirova, journalist, and Igor Chechushkov, Institute of History and Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences 8. The Role of the Horse in Ancient Egyptian: In Society and Imagery Lonneke Delpeut, PhD Candidate, Leiden University 9. Horns as Symbols in Bronze Age Scandinavian Southern Tradition Rock Art Joanna M. Lawrence, PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge 10. Lions and Other Animal Representations Found in Funerary Contexts in Archaic Macedonia Nathalie del Socorro, Museum of Nogent-sur-Seine in France, University of Nanterre. 11. Buckle up! A Comparison of Ornamental Design on Pazyryk Riding Gear of the Sites Pazyryk-1, Berel’11 and Ak-Alakha-3 in Regards to Supra-regional Exchange during the 3rd Century BC Anna-Elisa Stümpel, ReMa student, University of Groningen 12. Dogs of Roman Britain: Secular, Sacred or Consumed? Branka Franicevic, PhD Candidate, University of Bradford 13. Dragons, Griffins and Leucrottas: Supernatural Creatures in the Eastern Baltic Tõnno Jonuks, Literary Museum in Tartu

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Book SynopsisOld St Peter''s Basilica in Rome stood for over eleven centuries until it was demolished to make room for today''s church on the same Vatican site. Its last eyewitness, Maffeo Vegio, explained to the Roman hierarchy how revival of the papacy, whose prestige after the exile to Avignon had been diminished, was inseparable from a renewed awareness of the primacy of Peter''s Church. To make his case, Vegio wrote a history founded on credible written and visual evidence. The text guides us through the building''s true story in its material reality, undistorted by medieval guides. This was its living memory and a visualization of the continuity of Roman history into modern times. This volume makes available the first complete English translation of Vegio''s text. Accompanied by full-color digital reconstructions of the Basilica as it appeared in Vegio''s day.Trade Review'… Learned and thoughtful book.' Maffeo Vegio, SpeculumTable of Contents1. The author; 2. The text; 3. The image.

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Book SynopsisAcross the nine thematic chapters of Experiencing Medieval Art, renowned art historian Herbert L. Kessler considers functional objects as well as paintings and sculptures; the circumstances, processes, and materials of production; the conflictual relationship between art objects and notions of an ineffable deity; the context surrounding medieval art; and questions of apprehension, aesthetics, and modern presentation. He also introduces the exciting discoveries and revelations that have revolutionized contemporary understanding of medieval art and identifies the vexing challenges that still remain. With 16 color plates and 81 images in allincluding the stained glass of Chartres Cathedral, the mosaics of San Marco, and the Utrecht Psalter, as well as newly discovered works such as the frescoes in Rome’s aula gotica and a twelfth-century aquamanile in HildesheimExperiencing Medieval Art makes the complex history of medieval art accessible for students Trade Review"Incorporating abundant multilingual publications, this engaging study will serve as an indispensable reference book and catalyst for further inquiry. The figures and plates were well chosen and elaborated on throughout the work. It is laudatory that Kessler made such an encompassing study flow so seamlessly and invitingly." -- Elizabeth Marie Sandoval, Williams College Museum of Art * Journal of British Studies *"Experiencing Medieval Art taught me a great deal about medieval art. Its comprehensive index provides a useful starting point for doing research into individual topics like The Last Supper or a medium like stained glass and many more. Individual chapters might easily be assigned in an undergraduate classroom, or the work as a whole would serve any medievalist’s library well. It is an excellent resource for faculty wanting to speak more effectively about medieval material in their own classrooms." -- Christina Francis, Bloomsburg University * Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface 1. Object 2. Matter 3. Making 4. Spirit 5. Book 6. Church 7. Life (and Death) 8. Performance 9. Subject Epilogue Notes Photo Credits Index

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Book SynopsisWhy do people destroy objects and materials that are important to them? This book aims to make sense of this fascinating, yet puzzling social practice by focusing on a period in history in which such destructive behaviour reached unseen heights and complexity: the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in Europe (c. 2300â500 BC). This period is often seen as the time in which a âfamiliarâ Europe took shape due to the rise of a metal-based economy. But it was also during the Bronze Age that massive amounts of scarce and recyclable metal were deliberately buried in the landscape and never taken out again. This systematic deposition of metalwork sits uneasily with our prevailing perception of the Bronze Age as the first ârational-economicâ period in history â and therewith â of ourselves. Taking the patterned archaeological evidence of these seemingly un-economic metalwork depositions at face value, it is shown that the âun-economicâ giving-up of metal valuables was an integral part of what a Bronze Age âeconomyâ was about. Based on case studies from Bronze Age Europe, this book attempts to reconcile the seemingly conflicting political and cultural approaches that are currently used to understand this pivotal period in Europeâs deep history. It seems that to achieve something in society, something else must be given up.Using theories from economic anthropology, this book argues that â paradoxically â giving up that which was valuable created value. It will be invaluable to scholars and archaeologists interested in the Bronze Age, ancient economies, and a new angle on metalwork depositions. Trade Review"This book sheds new light on one of the most pressing problems in European archaeology: why did people in the Bronze Age bury so much metalwork or consign it to rivers and bogs? David Fontijn's analysis is compelling, original and brilliantly argued. It will be influential and ought to take studies of ancient Europe in exciting new directions." – Richard Bradley, Reading University, UK"This innovative and insightful book explores the analytical lenses through which we encounter and explain the deposition of metal objects in Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Europe. Employing anthropological theories of value to call into question the distinctions archaeologists so often draw between social, religious and economic activities, this book will be of interest to anyone working on the significance of objects and depositional practice in the past." – Joanna Brück, University of Bristol, UK"Economies of Destruction is a book worthy of considerable reflection. It is a book filled with new terminology, new concepts and new approaches, drawing heavily on recent anthropological theory, and shifting the traditional focus from the sacred-profane explanations for deposition to concepts of practice and Bronze Age world views. Fontijn has the remarkable ability to present something new and thought-provoking that seems, at the same time, very obvious…No doubt this will become essential reading for all those interested in depositional practices." - Matthew G. Knight, The Prehistoric Society"This book sheds new light on one of the most pressing problems in European archaeology: why did people in the Bronze Age bury so much metalwork or consign it to rivers and bogs? David Fontijn's analysis is compelling, original and brilliantly argued. It will be influential and ought to take studies of ancient Europe in exciting new directions." – Richard Bradley, Reading University, UK"This innovative and insightful book explores the analytical lenses through which we encounter and explain the deposition of metal objects in Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Europe. Employing anthropological theories of value to call into question the distinctions archaeologists so often draw between social, religious and economic activities, this book will be of interest to anyone working on the significance of objects and depositional practice in the past." – Joanna Brück, University of Bristol, UKTable of ContentsAcknowledgments; Preface; Chapter 1 Systematic irrationalities? The Bronze Age ‘destructive economy’; Chapter 2 Selective deposition – what does it entail and how can it be studied?; Chapter 3 The value conundrum: What common things and splendid items share and why their deposition is selective; Chapter 4 Pre-Bronze Age selective deposition; Chapter 5 Trade hoards: The un-economic nature of the Bronze Age metal economy; Chapter 6 Gifts to familiar gods?; Chapter 7 The receiving landscape; Chapter 8 Economies of destruction: ‘keeping-while-destroying’?; Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the earliest tablets of creation to artifacts connected with the life and resurrection of Jesus, Unearthing the Bible shows you can be confident there is an abundance of archaeological support for the history told in the Scriptures.

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Book SynopsisA study of domestic buildings in London from about 1200 to the Great Fire in 1666. John Schofield describes houses and related buildings such as almshouses, taverns, inns and shops, drawing on evidence from surviving buildings, archaeological excavations, surveys and plans, documents and more.Trade Review"Dr Schofield's study is scholarly and thorough... it undoubtedly constitutes a major contribution to our understanding of London before the Great Fire." John Goodall, Country Life "Schofield uses a full range of sources to reconstruct London's houses and layout from 1200-1600 A.D., and provides a gazetteer of some 201 sites in and around the City. Another beautifully produced and splendidly illustrated volume from Yale University Press." Antiquity

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Book SynopsisH.P.R. Twiston Davies is a Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester, UK.

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Book SynopsisOne of the principal characteristics of the European Neolithic is the development of monumentality in association with innovations in material culture and changes in subsistence from hunting and gathering to farming and pastoralism. The papers in this volume discuss the latest insights into why monumental architecture became an integral part of early farming societies in Europe and beyond. One of the topics is how we define monuments and how our arguments and recent research on temporality impacts on our interpretation of the Neolithic period. Different interpretations of Göbekli Tepe are examples of this discussion as well as our understanding of special landmarks such as flint mines.The latest evidence on the economic and paleoenvironmental context, carbon 14 dates as well as analytical methods are employed in illuminating the emergence of monumentalism in Neolithic Europe. Studies are taking place on a macro and micro scale in areas as diverse as Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Germany, the Dutch wetlands, Portugal and Malta involving a range of monuments from long barrows and megalithic tombs to roundels and enclosures. Transformation from a natural to a built environment by monumentalizing part of the landscape is discussed as well as changes in megalithic architecture in relation to shifts in the social structure. An ethnographic study of megaliths in Nagaland discuss monument building as an act of social construction. Other studies look into the role of monuments as expressions of cosmology and active loci of ceremonial performances. Also, a couple of papers analyse the social processes in the transformation of society in the aftermath of the initial boom in monument construction and the related changes in subsistence and social structure in northern Europe.The aim of the publication is to explore different theories about the relationship between monumentality and the Neolithic way of life through these studies encompassing a wide range of types of monuments over vast areas of Europe and beyond.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Gebauer, A. B., Sørensen, L., Teather, A. & A. C. Valera. List of contributors. List of content. Thoughts on Monumentalism Chapter. 1. Teather, A. Neolithic monumentality for the 21st Century. Origin of Monumentalism Chapter. 2. Watkins, T. Monumentality in Neolithic Southwest Asia: making memory in time and space Chapter. 3. Kinzel, M. and Clare, L. Monumental compared to what? A Perspective from Göbekli Tepe Chapter. 4. Hodder, I. From communal to segmentary: an alternative view of Neolithic ‘monuments’ in the Middle East. Comments on chapter 2 and 3 Chapter. 5. Jeunesse, Chr. Elite houses or specialised buildings? Some comments about the special buildings of Göbekli Tepe in relation to chapter 2 and 3 Chapter. 6. Response to comments by Ian Hodder and Christian Jeunesse by Trevor Watkins Chapter. 7. Response to comments by Ian Hodder and Christian Jeunesse by Lee Clare and Moriz Kinzel with notes on a potential Upper Mesopotamian “Late PPNA Hunter-Crisis” Monuments and social change Chapter. 8. Sørensen, L. Monuments and social stratification within the early Funnel Beaker Culture in South Scandinavia . Chapter. 9. Behrens, A. Do Hundreds of megalithic monuments signify a full Neolithic way of life? The establishment of Neolithic societies on Rügen Island, Germany Chapter. 10. Brozio, J. P. From hierarchies in balance to social imbalance - transformation processes in the later Funnel Beaker north societies in the western Baltic Sea region (3100-2900 BCE) Chapter. 11. Müller, J., J. P. Brozio, W. Dörfler and W. Kirleis Narratives of third millennium transformations: new biographies of Neolithic societies, landscapes and monuments Chapter. 12. Nobles, G. Settling the Monumental Issue in the Dutch Wetlands Chapter. 13. Wunderlich, M. Celebrating stones – Megalith building traditions among Angami-Naga, Northeast-India Chapter. 14. Wadskjær, A.V. & G. Hjortlund Megalithic structures and settlements in the Valley of Posic, Amazonas, Northern Peru Funerary monuments Chapter. 15. Larsson, L. Stones as Boundaries – Stones as Markers. A megalithic tomb in Southern Portugal Chapter. 16. Pospieszny, Ł., M. Jakubczak and G. Kiarszys Putting earthen long barrows back on map. Remarks about the Middle Neolithic monumentality of northern Poland Chapter. 17. Papiernik, P., R. Brzejszczak, D. Kacper Płaza, J. Wicha, and P. Wronecki In the search of the lost heritage. Non-invasive exploration of the monumental Funnel Beaker culture long barrows in the area of Wietrzychowice in central Poland Chapter. 18. Sheridan, A. and R. Schulting Making sense of Scottish Neolithic funerary monuments: tracing trajectories and understanding their rationale Chapter. 19. Gebauer, A. B. Group benefits? The story of a cluster of megalithic monuments in Danish Funnel Beaker society Enclosures and Landscapes Chapter. 20. Parkinson, E., S. Stoddart, C. Malone, C. Brogan and R. McLaughlin Storied Structures, Sustainability and Resilience in late Neolithic Malta: Excavations at the Santa Verna, Gozo Chapter. 21. Valera, A. C. Ephemeral and Cosmological Monumentality: the ‘strange’ ditched enclosures of Chalcolithic South Portugal Chapter. 22. Sanches, M. J. and A. M. Vale Connecting stories of the Neolithic in North-Eastern Portugal. Walled enclosures and their relationships with the genealogy of the landscape. Chapter. 23. Czerniak, L., A. Matuszewska, M. Dziewanowski, L. Pospieszny, M. Jakubczak and M. Szubski The Neolithic roundel and its social context on the furthest reaches of the Danubian World. Chapter. 24. Andersson, M. and M. Artursson, The living and the dead – the Early Neolithic monumental landscape of southwestern Scania, southern Sweden. Conclusion: Chapter. 25. Thomas, J. The Lives of Monuments and Monumentalising Life

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Book SynopsisSince their discovery in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have become an icon in popular culture that transcends their status as ancient Jewish manuscripts. Everyone has heard of the Scrolls, but amidst the conspiracies, the politics, and the sensational claims, it can be difficult to separate the myths from the reality. In this Very Short introductions, Timothy Lim discusses the cultural significance of the finds, and the religious, political and legal controversies during the seventy years of study since the discovery. He also looks at the contribution the Scrolls have made to our understanding of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, and the origins of early Christianity. Exploring the most recent scholarly discussions on the archaeology of Khirbet Qumran, and the study of the biblical texts, the canon, and the history of the Second Temple Period, he considers what the scrolls reveal about sectarianism in early Judaism. Was the archaeological site of Qumran a centre of monastic life, a fortress, a villa, or a pottery factory? Why were some of their biblical texts so different from the ones that we read today? Did they have ''a Bible''? Who were the Essenes and why did they think that humanity is to be divided between ''the sons of light'' and those in darkness? And, finally, do the Scrolls reflect the teachings of the earliest followers of Jesus? 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 ReviewThis very short introduction is an accessible book that arouses the interest of readers and teases their curiosity to learn more ... In his ability to synthesize and fascinate, Lim shows his almost thirty years of know-how in the study and teaching of the Dead Sea Scrolls. * Daniele Minisini, Review of Biblical Literature *A very helpful, personal, and enjoyable introduction. * Emanuel Tov, The Expository Times *Having read a number of books previously on this subject, I have a basic knowledge of the subject, but after reading Lim's book, I feel my knowledge has grown quite significantly ... A fascinating subject, treated with down-to-earth gusto, but with a reverence for the unique and astounding discovery it is. * Sandra Callard, On: Yorkshire Magazine *impressively broad-ranging and useful * Vulpes Libris *Marvellously concise and elegantly written, this book is a masterful introduction to the main issues relating to the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Scrolls in a nutshell! * John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale a *...an excellent, brief, but thorough introduction... Lim provides an authoritative guide to the contents and significance of the scrolls as ancient documents of major religious importance. That would be enough to ask, but he also provides a fascinating account of how these documents have played a role in modern copyright law and have become a focus for polemically tinged religious conspiracy theories. What a story! * Carol A. Newsom, C. H. Candler Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, Emory University *Table of ContentsREFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisBy Steppe, Desert, and Ocean is nothing less than the story of how humans first started building the globalized world we know today. Set on a huge continental stage, from Europe to China, it is a tale covering over 10,000 years, from the origins of farming around 9000 BC to the expansion of the Mongols in the thirteenth century AD. An unashamedly ''big history'', it charts the development of European, Near Eastern, and Chinese civilizations and the growing links between them by way of the Indian Ocean, the silk Roads, and the great steppe corridor (which crucially allowed horse riders to travel from Mongolia to the Great Hungarian Plain within a year). Along the way, it is also the story of the rise and fall of empires, the development of maritime trade, and the shattering impact of predatory nomads on their urban neighbours. Above all, as this immense historical panorama unfolds, we begin to see in clearer focus those basic underlying factors - the acquisitive nature of humanity, the differing environments in which people live, and the dislocating effect of even slight climatic variation - which have driven change throughout the ages, and which help us better understand our world today.Trade Review[This book] demonstrates how wrong Kipling was: East may be East and West may be West, but over the millennia the twain have repeatedly met. * Tom Holland, Books of the Year 2015, History Today *the author's modest, mellifluous style, and his honed skill for storytelling, make the read pleasurable and stimulating, and - ven at 500 pages - hard to put down. * Mike Pitts, British Archaeology *By Steppe is a masterpiece of multidisciplinary historical narrative ... Beautifully and clearly written, also lavishly illustrated, this is a work of astounding learning and succinct authority by one of the best archaeologists in the world. He happens also to be a skilled storyteller. Revel in the wonderful book's delights, for the archaeological blank is no longer. You won't regret it. * Prof Brian Fagan, Current World Archaeology *[Sir Barry Cunliffe] is our greatest living archaeologist - and writer on the subject. Who else could have told this epic 10,000-year-old tale? ... Written in his usual clear, authoritative, elegant style not a word is wasted. What a pleasure it is to read ancient history written in English as she should be spoken. * Lindsay Fulcher, Minerva *Cunliffe is a master storyteller, explaining his carefully researched conclusions through polished language and apropos turns of phrase that make his book a breeze despite its depth and breadth. * Publishers Weekly *This magnificent study should inspire many more journeys of discovery. * Andy Ffrench, The Oxford Times *In tracing the rise of Eurasian civilization, Cunliffe makes clear that history is much more than just one thing after another. As migrations and conquests pile up in the book, it becomes apparent that a dizzying array of forces interacted to produce the modern world. * Science News *Table of Contents1: The Land and the People 2: The Domestication of Eurasia, 10,000-5000 BC 3: Horses and Copper: the Centrality of the Steppe, 5000-2500 BC 4: The Opening of the Eurasian Steppe, 2500-1600 BC 5: Nomads and Empires: The First Confrontations, 1600-6000 BC 6: Learning from Each Other: Interaction along the Interface, 600-250 BC 7: The Continent Connected, 250 BC-AD 250 8: The Age of Perpetual War, AD 250-650 9: The Beginning of a New World Order, AD 650-840 10: The Disintegration of Empires, AD 840-1150 11: The Steppe Triumphant, AD 1150-1300 12: Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards Guide to Further Reading Illustration Sources Index

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Book SynopsisAn up-to-the-minute account of ten of the most exciting archaeological discoveries in Britain over the past decade.Trade Review'Lucid and informative … conveys both the thrill of discovery and the painstaking, puzzling interpretation work that follows it. … If you’ve ever wondered how we know so much about who we used to be, this is the book for you ' - Greg Jenner, historian and bestselling author of 'A Million Years In A Day''By taking us backwards in time, 'Digging Up Britain' has the quality of really good science fiction ' - Tom Holland'The popular archaeology book we have been waiting for … Pitts has presented readers with a vision of a modern discipline, engaged and relevant politically, socially, intellectually and economically' - British Archaeology'Many books claim to detail Britain’s ancient past, but few are as absorbing, entertaining and subversively informative as this one' - BBC History'A great book, full of engaging and thought-provoking new perspectives on some key discoveries which will appeal to archaeologists and non-archaeologists alike' - Professor Carenza Lewis, University of Lincoln'Authoritative stuff' - Book BrunchTable of Contents1. A Viking massacre: Weymouth, AD 1000 • 2. The Staffordshire Hoard: Hammerwich, AD 600–700 • 3. Roman occupation: London, AD 45–400 • 4. Living in round houses: Black Loch, 450–250 BC and Must Farm, 1300–800 BC • 5. Paths of the dead: Cliffs End, 900–300 BC • 6. Shaped by beliefs: Stonehenge, 4000–2000 BC • 7. Deer hunters: Star Carr, 11k years ago 8. Cannibals: Gough’s Cave, 15k years ago • 9. Elephant hunters: Barnham, 400k years ago

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Book Synopsis'Cornwall in Prehistory' provides an introduction to this fascinating era in the county's past.

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Book SynopsisExcavations at 12 and 3 Redcliff Street, Bristol, revealed domestic and industrial remains dating from the establishment of the Redcliffe suburb in the 12th century through to the later post-medieval period.Trade Review...the relatively prompt appearance of the present report by Cotswold Archaeology is extremely welcome. * Bristol and Gloucestshire Archaeology Society *

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first to closely examine the location of the earliest purpose-built Christian buildings inside the city of Rome in their contemporary context. It argues that some of these were deliberately sited by their builders so as to utilise prominent positions within the urban landscape or to pragmatically reuse pre-existing bath facilities for Christian liturgical practice. Several examples are discussed with the latest archaeological discoveries explored. Two particular case studies are also examined within the Subura area of the city, and their urban location is examined in relation to the commercial, religious, social and public spaces around them, known through a 3rd century A.D. survey of the city. Certain other Christian basilicas in the city encroached or blocked roads, were situated by main arterial highways, were located on hills and eventually reused prestigious public buildings. Other examples were located by potent ‘pagan’ sites or important places of public congregation, with two structures suggesting the political astuteness of a 4th century pope. This book shows that the spatial Christianisation of Rome was not a random and haphazard process, but was at times a planned project that strategically built new Christian centres in places that would visually or practically enhance what were generally small and modest structures.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Building a Titulus-Basilica in Late Antique Rome; 2. Christian Basilicas and Baths; 3. Striving for Attention; 4. The Tituli of Equitius and Sylvester in the Subura; 5. Some Other 4th-7th Century Intramural Christian Basilicas in their Urban Context; 6. Conclusion; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis book is for students and practitioners of not only knapping, lithic technology and archaeology, but also of fractography and fracture mechanics. At conferences on fractography of glasses and ceramics, the author has often been asked to demonstrate knapping as well as provide overviews of fractography learned from it. The first part of the book is intended to stimulate such interests further, in order to solicit contributions from a largely untapped pool of experts. Such contributions can advance significantly our understandings of knapping as well as fractography. In Part II of the book, fracture markings as the tools of fractography are introduced, with their formation, meaning and utility explained. Observations on the presence or absence of the markings in knapping are considered in Part III, along with a number of interpretations of fracture features. The basic principles and concepts of fracture mechanics and fractography apply to fractures produced in any cultural context. This volume therefore addresses most questions on fracture in a generic sense, independent of cultural contexts. In general, understanding of fractures provides a sounder basis for lithic analysis, and use of more recent scientific tools opens new avenues for lithic studies.Trade Review"For more than 40 years, Are Tsirk has developed interdisciplinary research on the physical phenomena in knapping, combining his experience in knapping with his longstanding interest in fracture. The work is enhanced by his curiosity and minute observational ability of a natural scientist. It is the most complete monograph on the subject. It will be of interest to all amateurs in knapping and useful, if not indispensible, to fractographers as well as all archaeologists in the study of lithics." -Jacques Pelegrin, Lab. "Prehistoire et Technologie" CNRS, Paris "The book - is a delight to read. It contains information of interest and importance to the knapper, fractographer and anyone interested in flint knapping or finding out about knapping. It contains so much material in one place that it becomes an invaluable resource. It is easy to read and many of the sections are self-contained - The pictures are marvelous and very descriptive. If you have an interest in history, art, anthropology, fractography or knapping in any aspect, you will enjoy and appreciate this book." -John J. Mecholsky Jr., Materials and Engineering Department, University of Florida, Gainesville "Tsirk understands lithic fracture mechanics better than anyone. - This his latest work will stand as his testament of a lifetime of critically important research in archeology." -Errett Callahan, Consultant in Reconstructive Archeology, Lynchburg, VATable of ContentsPART I: ELEMENTS OF KNAPPING 1.Knapping Past and Present Introduction Traditional Crafts and Industrial Society Prehistoric Knapping Recent and Remnant Knapping Traditions Some Specialized Knapping Traditions Gunflints Threshing Sledges Ceramic Industry Modern Knapping and Recent Explosion Of Interest Knapping Studies Archaeological Record Ethnography Knapping Experiments Living Archaeology Mechanics, Fracture Mechanics and Fractography Contemporary Crafts 2.Knapping Tools and Techniques Antler and Wood Billets Hammerstones Punches Pressure Flakers Holding and Fabricating Devices Anvils and Supports Hides Grinding and Abrading Stones Nontraditional Tools and Acessories Use-Wear Indicators Direct Percussion Anvil Technique and Anvil Percussion Bipolar Percussion Indirect Percussion Pressure Flaking Pecking, Grinding, Polishing Edge and Platform Preparation Some Rules of Thumb Knappers' Wisdom, Folklore and Dilemmas Softer Percussors and Slower Blows Follow-Through with Forces Ridge Abrasion Wetting and Soaking Learning to Knap 3.Raw Materials Material Selection and Use Obsidian Flint and Chert Other Materials Physical and Mechanical Properties Microstructure and Physical Properties Homogeneity and Isotropy Elasticity, Ductility, Brittleness Elastic Constants Constants for Thermal Effects Strength and Fracture Toughness Mirror Constants Workability Alteration of Properties And Behavior Hydration and Vesiculation of Obsidian Cortex and Patina on Flint and Chert Thermal Cracking Thermal Alteration and Heat Treatment Environmental Effects Procurement Nontraditional Uses of Obsidian, Flint and Chert PART II - FRACTURE MARKINGS: THE TOOLS OF FRACTOGRAPHY 4.An Overview 5. Hackles and Hackle Scars Twist Hackles and Single Tails Multiple Tails Parabolic Double Tails Hackle Scars Hackle Scar and Hackle Flake Bulbar Scar and Proximal Scar Ripple Scars Ridge Scars More on Hackle Scar Formation 6.Ripples Ripples Wallner Lines Normal Wallner Lines Anomalous Wallner Lines Stress Changes Causing Ripples Static Effects Specimen Vibration Stress Pulses Experimental Ripples Ultrasonic Modulation Sonic Modulation Exploding Wire Experiments Terminology and Interpretations by Others 7. Mirror, Mist, Hackle, Branching Mirror Mist and Velocity Hackle Branching, Incipient Branching and Lateral Wedges Velocity and Energy Considerations Mirror Constants and Stresses Markings Related to Mist and Hackle Wallner Mist-Hackle Configuration Mist Suppression Configurations Mist Lines 8.Miscellaneous Markings Material Interface Markings Material Interface Ridges and Ripples Material Interface Hackle Material Transition Ridge Split Marks Dividing Lines Ruffles Liquid-Induced Fracture Markings (Lifms) Effects of Moisture and Liquids Conditions for Manifestation of LIFMs Occurrence of LIFMs Significance of LIFMs Basic Kinds of LIFMs A Catalogue of LIFMs and Patterns Observation of LIFMs Variability with Liquids Variability with Lithic Materials LIFMs with Sonic Modulation LIFMs Observed with Condensation Some Surface Patterns PART III - FRACTURES IN KNAPPING 9.Introduction Elements of a Mechanical System And Knapping Stresses, Stress Waves and Vibrations Some Fundamentals in Fracture Mechanics Catastrophic and Subcritical Crack Growth Research on Fractures in Knapping Other Research 10.Flake Initiations, Proximal and Surface Features Flake Initiations Some Definitions Hertzian Cone Fractures Contact Initiations Non-Contact Initiations Initiations with Multiple Blows Effects of Cortex and "Layering" Environmental Effects Percussor Softness and Speed Proximal Flake Features Platform Characteristics Dorsal Ridges and Curvatures Interior Platform Edge Wing Flakes Bulbs Popouts and Stepouts Flake Surface Features Fracture Directions Ripple Configurations and Fracture Fronts Ripple Concavity Ripples Related to Flake and Core Geometry Ripples at Inhomogeneities Why Ridges Guide Flakes Fracture Velocities Mist and Related Markings Hackle Scars Ruffles Split Marks Tails and Incipient Tails 11.Crack Paths and Flake Profile Features Criteria for Crack Paths Crack Paths and Core Geometry Crack Paths and Forces Applied Popouts and Related Fractures Compression Lips, Curls and Compression Wedges Step-In and Step-Out Fractures Incipient Breaks Popout Fractures Ripple Profiles and Kinks Wavy Crack Paths Flake Terminations "Jacked" Flakes 12.Forces in Knapping Non-Contact Flake Initiations Edge Angle and Core Geometry Location and Direction of Force Application Platform Characteristics Flaw Distributions Flaker Properties Contact Initiations Location of Force Application Direction of Force Application Edge Angle and Core Geometry Platform Characteristics Flaw Distributions Flaker Properties Contact and Non-Contact Flake Initiations: Comparisons Subsequent Detachment Direct Percussion Percussor Characteristics Velocity of Blows Indirect Percussion Punch Characteristics Striker Characteristics Core Mobility Percussion Flaking Pressure Flaking Supports Distal Dorsal Bipolar Percussion 13. Breakage of Blades, Flakes and Bifaces Axial Loads, Bending, Shear, Torsion and Their Effects Clues from Fracture Markings and Other Features Some Fractures with Blades and Flakes Splitting of Blades and Flakes Step-In and Step-Out Fractures Incipient Breaks Popouts Some Fractures with Bifaces Overshots and Edge-to-Edge Flakes Amputations Transverse Breakages Fracture Origins Fracture Directions Compression Lips, Curls and Compression Wedges Mist and Related Markings Branching and Lateral Wedges for Blades and Flakes Fracture Velocities Location of Force Application Some Special Breaks Bowties Slices Segmentation Aztec Appreciation of Mechanics

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Book SynopsisManetho’s obscure reference to a race of invaders has been a constant source of debate and controversy. But who are these invaders? They are named the ‘Hyksos’ – a Greek modification of the Egyptian expression HqA xAs.wt ‘ruler of foreign lands’. The Hyksos are correlated with the Fifteenth Dynasty of the Second Intermediate Period, a time characterised by the destabilisation and regionalisation of the Egyptian state. Several scholars have pondered over their victory and rule in Egypt, from the manner in which they entered Egypt and the means with which they claimed the throne to their final expulsion from the land. This book assesses their rise to power, exploring the preliminary stages that enabled the Hyksos to gain control over a portion of Egyptian territory and thus to merit a small mention in Manetho’s history.Table of ContentsSection I: Studying the Hyksos Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Previous Scholarship Chapter 3: Ethnicity and its Representation Section II: Evidence for Contact Chapter 4: Tracing Asiatics in Egypt Chapter 5: Between Egypt and the Levant: The Eastern Desert Chapter 6: Contact with the Egyptian in the Levant Section III: Observations and Findings Chapter 7: Representing Asiatics and the Levant Chapter 8: Rulers of Foreign Lands Select Bibliography Appendix A : Translations Appendix B : Ambiguous Data from the Levant

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Book SynopsisIn this book Anne Teather develops a new approach to understanding the Neolithic flint mines of southern Britain. These mines include some of the earliest - and also some of the largest - monumental constructions that transformed the landscape of Britain during the period of social change that accompanied the transition from foraging to farming 6000 years ago. Yet the sophisticated architecture of these mines and the unique deposits that they contained have received relatively little attention from archaeologists. This book draws together the results of an extensive analysis of archival records and material to illustrate how these mines and the activities that took place in them can be seen as integral to Neolithic life. Previous studies of the flint mines have focused on the functional demands of flint extraction and the ways in which the raw flint material was distributed and processed into tools such as axes. Yet there is compelling evidence that the voids – shafts and galleries created through the process of flint extraction – were not merely the abandoned features of flint exploitation but instead should be seen as dynamic and monumental architectural spaces where creative and meaningful social actions took place. This interpretation is evidenced through the recognition of repeated motifs of chalk art inscribed on the walls of the mines and in the deliberate placement and deposition of artefacts. These artefacts include both naturalistic and abstract forms made of chalk, items that have not previously been recognised as a cohesive class of material. The book draws together for the first time a comprehensive typology, chronology and classification system for prehistoric chalk artefacts. The concept of artefact is broadened to include natural materials whose selection and placement in specific archaeological contexts is pivotal in understanding depositional complexity and the symbolic meaning conveyed by elements of the natural world.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Mining and Materiality ; Chapter 2: Situating Flint Mines in Neolithic Studies ; Chapter 3: Addressing Functionality with Materiality and Phenomenology ; Chapter 4: Non-Portable Chalk: Art and Artefacts ; Chapter 5: Portable Chalk Artefacts ; Chapter 6: Natural Objects to Cultural Artefacts ; Chapter 7: Beyond Extraction ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis report aims to offer glimpses of the human condition on Naxos island, Greece, focusing on the archaeoanthropologic study of the human skeletal remains along with associated contexts of faunal materials recovered from the Geometric (9th -7th c BC) component of the burial ground site of Plithos in Chora at Naxos island.Table of ContentsPrologue; Geometric Component Burial Contexts and Anthropological Remains; Anatomic Distribution of Preserved Skeletal Remains; Aspects of Population Sample Demographic Profile; On Skeletal Morphology; Palaeopathological Profile; Non-Anthropological Organic Materials of Burial Contexts with Emphasis on Faunal Remains; Epilogue; Graphs; Tables

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Book SynopsisThis volume contains the papers presented during the Meeting ‘Off the Beaten Track – Epigraphy at the Borders’, the sixth in a series of international events planned by the EAGLE, Europeana network of Ancient Greek and Latin Epigraphy international consortium.The Meeting was held on 24–25 September 2015, with the support of the Department of Classics and Late Antiquity Studies at the University of Bari Aldo Moro (Italy). During the event, the EAGLE Portal (http://www.eagle-network.eu) was officially launched and presented to the public for the first time. The event was intended to address the issues which arise in digitizing inscriptions characterised by ‘unusual’ features in comparison with the epigraphic norm. Here are collected contributions from several ongoing digital projects raising questions and proposing solutions regarding encoding inscriptions – from the Archaic period to the Middle Ages and beyond, even in languages other than Greek and Latin – which do not fall within those labelled as standard. The projects involved are the following: ILA – Iscrizioni Latine Arcaiche; The Ancient Graffiti Project; DASI – Digital Archive for the Study of pre-Islamic Arabian Inscriptions; EDB – Epigraphic Database Bari; EDV – Epigraphic Database Vernacular Inscriptions; AshLi – Ashmolean Latin Inscriptions Project.Table of ContentsForeword (Silvia Orlandi) ; Off the Beaten Track. Epigraphy at the Borders: An Introduction (Antonio Enrico Felle) ; The Encoding Challenge of the ILA Project (Giulia Sarullo) ; Images and Text on the walls of Herculaneum: Designing the Ancient Graffiti Project (Rebecca R. Benefiel and Holly M. Sypniewski) ; Is still Arabia at the margins of digital Epigraphy? Challenges in the digitization of the pre-Islamic inscriptions in the project DASI (Alessandra Avanzini, Annamaria De Santis, Daniele Marotta and Irene Rossi) ; From Officina Lapidaria to DYE. Encoding inscriptions from the Roman ; Catacombs (Anita Rocco) ; Challenges of Byzantine Epigraphy in the 21st Century. A Short Note (Andreas Rhoby) ; EDV Italian Medieval Epigraphy in the Vernacular (9th-15th century). A new Database (Luna Cacchioli, Nadia Cannata, Alessandra Tiburzi) ; Signals, Symbols, and Spaces in the Ashmolean Latin Collection (Hannah Cornwell and Jane Masséglia) ; Epigraphy out there (Pietro Liuzzo)

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Book SynopsisThis book is an essay on architectural drawings of the Greek and Roman world. The first chapter is focused on the possibility that ancient treatises of architectures were endowed with drawings in order to make clear expositions which sometimes were not easily explainable only with words. Then the drawings which once clarified the treatise of Vitruvius are considered. The problem concerning the possible presence of drawings in post-Vitruvian architectural treatises is also discussed. The issue as to whether descriptive literary compositions sometimes contained illustrations as well is also examined. Then representations of architecture in Roman treatises on divisions of land (the so called gromatic treatises) are considered. The references to architectural drawings in literary and epigraphical testimonia are collected and a catalogue of the surviving Greek and Roman drawings of buildings or of parts of them is given. Thus this research offers all the basic data for the study of an important tool in the context of architecture in antiquity.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The treatises written by architects about specific architectural works made by them; 2. The illustrations which accompanied the text of the de architectura by Vitruvius; 3. Drawings included in handbooks after Vitruvius; 4. Images attached to ancient descriptions of architectures; 5. Miniature illustrations in Gromatic treatises; 6. References to architectural drawings in ancient literatures and inscriptions; 7. Archaeological evidence of drawings of architectures; 8. Conclusions; 9. Catalogue of drawings of architectures in the Greek and Roman world

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Book SynopsisŌsaka, now a city of 19 million inhabitants, was the economic powerhouse of Japan for two thousand years and remains an important international center. In an unusual archaeological treatment of regional long-term history, Richard Pearson proposes that a kind of entrepreneurial mentality motivated leaders to expand the economy through projects of all kinds. He summarizes results of decades of Japanese intensive archaeological study of these projects and introduces some local museums conserving and interpreting cultural heritage in the face of overwhelming urbanization. The Ōsaka Plain was the scene of vigorous Palaeolithic and Jōmon hunting and gathering communities and large agricultural villages during the Yayoi Period, and was the political center of Japan for parts of the Kofun, Asuka and Nara Periods. In the 5th century AD some of the largest burial mounds in the world were built there. Later it was an area of rich and powerful manors in the Heian and Kamakura Periods. At the end of the Chūsei (Mediaeval) Period, the city of Sakai emerged as the financial center of Japan. and Ōsaka Castle briefly dominated the region. Working in tandem with the adjacent Nara and Kyōto Basins, Ōsaka was a center of innovation and economic, social, and cultural exchange between the Japanese Islands and coastal Asia.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Chapter 1: Ōsaka Archaeology; Chapter 2: The Environment Of The Ōsaka Area And Its Changes; Chapter 3: Early Hunter Gatherers: the Palaeolithic and Jōmon Periods (ca. 20,000 BC to 950 BC); Chapter 4: The Expansion of Agrarian Society; the Yayoi Period (950 BC to 240 AD); Chapter 5: Consolidation of Political Power and Trade; the Kofun Period (240 to 600 AD); Chapter 6: The Naniwa Port as a Regional Center; The Kodai (600 to 1185 AD) Period; Chapter 7: Ōsaka as a Commercial Center; The Chūsei Period (ca 1185 to 1603 AD); Chapter 8: The Beginnings of Modern Ōsaka; The Kinsei Period (ca 1603 to 1868 AD) ; Chapter 9: Ōsaka’s Special Features; Appendix A: Site Descriptions; Appendix B: Sakai Historical Background; Appendix C: Ōsaka’s Cultural Heritage and Selected Museums; Glossary; References Cited; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Ouse valley, East Sussex, is a key communication route from the Channel coast, via the Downs (and the historic county town of Lewes), to the wide expanse of the Weald. It traverses and encompasses landscapes and archaeological sites of both regional and national importance – all connected by the river Ouse and its valley. This is the first review of the archaeology of this important landscape – from Palaeolithic to medieval times by contributors all routed in the archaeology of Sussex. Binding together the archaeology is a review of the geoarchaeology and palaeo-environment following which the chapters document the collective archaeology and potential from the Palaeolithic of Boxgrove vs Piltdown, via Mesolithic archaeology from the textbook excavations of Grahame Clark to recent 21st century investigations. Monuments of causewayed enclosures, long barrows and round barrows represent some of the Neolithic and Bronze Age evidence with some extraordinary finds recorded in the Bronze Age. From hillforts and villas, to medieval rural and urban excavation; the Ouse valley represents a microcosm of the wider region, the contributions collectively reveal the importance and significance of this valley to the development of landscape history and society of a quintessential English county. The narrative concludes with the first detailed research agenda for the Ouse valley.Table of ContentsDudley John Moore; an appreciation and tribute to ‘a life well lived’ (Sarah Green); Foreword. CCE (University of Sussex) and its three Sussex River Ouse Projects: teaching, learning and research (David Rudling); 1. Introduction: studying the Ouse Valley (Dudley Moore); 2. Holocene geoarchaeology and palaeo-environment; setting the scene (Michael J. Allen); 3. Palaeolithic record of the Sussex Ouse Valley (Matt Pope and Jenny Brown); 4. Mesolithic (Diana Jones); 5. Neolithic (Steve Sutcliffe); 6. Bronze Age, a north-south divide (Lisa Jayne Fisher); 7. Iron Age (Stuart McGregor); 8. Impact of Rome (David Rudling); 9. Anglo-Saxons (Simon Stevens); 10. The Upper Ouse in the Medieval period (AD 1066 to 1499) (David H. Millum); 11. Lower Ouse in the Medieval period (AD 1066 to 1499) (David J. Worsell); 12. Research priorities for the Ouse valley (Michael J. Allen and David Rudling

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Book SynopsisWas the purpose of an Iron Age hillfort to defend people and resources or was it there to show the power of the community and its leaders? Was the Middle Iron Age trend to large complex ‘defences’ a response to developing tactics of assault or did the huge amounts of construction work serve the purpose of building community identity through shared labour? The name ‘hillfort’ implies a defensive purpose, but in recent decades alternative interpretations have gained favour, based on analyses suggesting that hillforts are poorly suited to military purposes and on views of Iron Age society that emphasise the importance of boundaries, symbolic display and communitybuilding. Excavations of hillfort interiors reveal they were sites for many activities; large caches of stones suggest that sling warfare was one. This book reports an investigation of these issues. Sling accuracy at a hillfort was measured for the first time, in a controlled experiment comparing attack and defence across single and developed ramparts. Tactical scenarios modelled from the results showed that hillfort development gave defenders increased advantage. These results support defence as the explanation for the features of the enclosing works of hillforts. Full details of the method and analyses are included.Table of ContentsAbstract; Preface; Acknowledgements; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Iron Age Hillfort Defences; Chapter 3: The Sling and Sling Warfare; Chapter 4: Background to the Experiment; Chapter 5: The Experiment; Chapter 6: Discussion; Chapter 7: Conclusions; Appendix A: Procedure Exhibits and Experiment Equipment; Appendix B: Experiment Results and Data Analyses; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe papers collected in this book correspond to the lectures held during session B34 of UISPP conference in Burgos (June 2014) where the presentation of multidisciplinary works were encouraged. The main goal of bringing together specialists from various disciplines (humanities and natural sciences) was to debate, from different perspectives, the networks in raw materials and technological innovation in Prehistory and Protohistory, involving investigation topics typical of archaeometry: archeometallurgy, petrography, and mineralogy.Table of ContentsForeword to the XVII UISPP Congress Proceedings Series Edition (Luiz Oosterbeek); Networks of trade in raw materials and technological innovations in Prehistory & Protohistory: an archaeometry approach Introduction (Davide Delfino, Paolo Piccardo, João Carlos Baptista); Middle Bronze Age metalworking in the cave of Monte Meana (South-western Sardinia, Italy) (Marco Serra, Stefano Naitza, Carla Cannas, and Giacomo Paglietti); Bronze Age silver artifacts from Romania – an archaeo-metallurgical study (Bogdan Constantinescu, Daniela Cristea-Stan and Anca-Diana Popescu); Prehistoric gold metallurgy in Transylvania – an archaeometrical study (Daniela Cristea-Stan and Bogdan Constantinescu); Passage of technologies – an archaeometric case study of iron artifacts of a Scythian Age grave from the Carpathian Basin (B. Török, A. Gyucha, Á. Kovács, P. Barkóczy, and Gy. Gulyás); An indigenous pottery production strategy in the late Early Bronze Age site of Mursia, Pantelleria, Italy. Perspectives on social complexity and indigenous interaction patterns (Matteo Cantisani); Bronze Age ceramics from Sardinia (Italy) – a technological study (Maria Giuseppina Gradoli); A preliminary archaeometric study of eneolithic anthropomorphic statues from Nurallao (central Sardinia, Italy) (Marco Serra, Valentina Mameli and Carla Cannas); Early Iron Age pottery in south-western Iberia – archaeometry and chronology (Michał Krueger, Dirk Brandherm)

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Book SynopsisThis book examines different forms of ritual activities performed in houses of Graeco- Roman Egypt. It draws on the rich archaeological record of rural housing and evidence from literature or papyrological references to both urban and rural housing. The introduction critically considers the literature relevant to the topic in order to identify the research gap. Chapter I attempts to reconstruct the structure of urban and rural houses in Graeco- Roman Egypt in the light of papyri and archaeology. This aims to establish the physical and spatial framework for the rituals considered in the following chapters. In line with this reconstruction of domestic properties is the reconstruction of the architectural layout and use of the domestic pylon in Chapter II. Chapter III deals with two rituals enacted before the front door of the house, namely the sacrifice of fish on the 9th of Thoth and the sacrifice of pigs on the 15th of Pachon. Chapter IV considers the ritual of the illumination of lamps for the goddess Athena-Neith within and around houses on the 13th of Epeiph. Chapter V highlights the use of the house as an arena for social types of rituals associated with dining, birthdays, the mallokouria, the epikrisis, and marriage. Chapter VI explores the religious sphere of houses, which is obvious from domestic shrines, wall paintings with religious themes, and figurines of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman deities uncovered from houses. The last chapter deals with mourning rituals, which the house occupants performed after the demise of their beloved animals, such as dogs, and their family members. In the conclusion, I summarize my work and draw out its implications, suggesting that the house was the locus of social, religious, and funerary rituals in Graeco-Roman Egypt.Table of ContentsChapter I: The Internal Division of Houses; Chapter II: The Domestic Pylon; Chapter III: Ritual Activities Enacted Before the Front Door of Houses; Chapter IV: The Illumination of Lamps (Lychnocaia) for Athena-Neith on 13 Epeiph (Julian: 24 June); Chapter V: The House as Social Space; Chapter VI: The House as Religious Space; Appendix 1: Catalogue of Roman-period Houses; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAmong the numerous deities in the ancient Egyptian mythology, whose nature and function are still vague and obscure, are mś.w Bdšt – ‘Children of Weakness’. These beings are twice mentioned in the Book of the Dead chapter 17. The text fragments contain two local versions of the myth with mś.w Bdšt – Hermopolitan (Urk. V: Abs. 1), and Heliopolitan (Urk. V: Abs. 22). Since the last text describes the combat between Re and the ‘Children of Weakness’, the same is likely to be reflected on the vignette, which depicts the battle of Re against mś.w Bdšt, metaphorically shown in the form of a serpent. This book is a comprehensive study of the ‘Children of Weakness’ myth and the scene depicting the cat, cutting off the head of the serpent under the branches of the išd-tree found on the number of Book of the Dead chapter 17 vignettes.Table of ContentsPreface; Chapter 1: The scene with the cat, serpent and sacred tree, 19th–21st Dynasties; Chapter 2: Correlation between text and visual image; Chapter 3: Mś.w Bdšt – the sources and the plot; Chapter 4: Mś.w Bdšt in the context of BD 175A, BD 123, CT Sp. 409, pBrooklyn 47.218.84 and the Book of Heavenly Cow – the Cosmogonic myth dénouement; Chapter 5: Mś.w Bdšt in the Book of Gates; Chapter 6: Mś.w Bdšt – the name and the image; Chapter 7: Essence of mś.w Bdšt in the Egyptian world view; Conclusion; Appendix 1: Catalogue of sources; Appendix 2: Selected texts; Abbreviations; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisCollections management practice is an often ignored aspect of archaeological research and salvage activities in many Middle Eastern countries, yet literally thousands of artefacts are recovered every year with no real strategies for managing them sustainably into the future. In this guide, archaeologist Dianne Fitzpatrick sees archaeological collections management not in terms of a last-ditch effort to solve on-site storage crises and preservation problems at the end of a project, but as a means of integrating achievable good-practice strategies into research designs and site management plans from the start, or for that matter, at any time that assist project directors and local Antiquities Directorates. Strategies designed to protect and preserve ensure the cultural significance and research potential of artefacts is maintained throughout the archaeological process and encourages those creating, managing and preserving archaeological collections to work toward the same goals. Merging together conservation-led principles with current on-site practice in a practical manner, Managing Archaeological Collections in Middle Eastern Countries aims to be a good practice standard or checklist.Table of ContentsAims and Objectives; Archaeological Collections Management Practice; Archaeological Collections Management; Recording Archaeological Collections; Short-Term: Registration, Analysis And Access; Long-Term: Archaeological Collections Storage; Implementing Archaeological Collections Management Strategies; Summary; Glossary; Bibliography; Appendix 1: Field Study: Syria and Turkey; Appendix 2: Survey: Archaeologists, Conservators and Curators

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Book SynopsisBetween January 2008 and July 2009, Northamptonshire Archaeology, now part of MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), carried out a series of excavations along the route of a new water pipeline being constructed by Anglian Water Services as part of a major project to increase the supply of water to new homes and businesses in the south-east Midlands region. Nineteen sites were investigated, dating primarily to the Iron Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. The earliest remains were a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age pit alignment near Seaton, Rutland. The Iron Age and Roman sites were small rural settlements comprising ditched enclosures, the remains of roundhouses and pits. Settlements were located near Seaton and Caldecott in Rutland and in Northamptonshire at Swinawe Barn near Corby, Thorpe Malsor, White Hill Lodge, Great Cransley and Willows Nursery. A Roman site near Rushton, Northamptonshire may be associated with a villa estate. Other sites included part of a Roman field system at Violet Lane, near Corby, and Roman cremation burials near Gretton, Northamptonshire. The settlements mainly date from the late middle Iron Age, 2nd century BC, through to the 4th century AD, although there was little evidence for direct continuity of settlement between the Iron Age and Roman periods. An Anglo-Saxon cremation cemetery dated to the late 5th century to mid-7th century AD, at Glaston, Rutland, contained 16 cremation burials deposited in decorated and plain urns along with small assemblages of grave goods, often also burnt on the pyre, and including a brooch, glass beads, and fragments of a bone comb and mount. Later features generally comprised medieval and post-medieval furrows from ridge and furrow field systems and field boundary ditches.Table of ContentsContributors; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c.4000-1450BC); 3. Middle Bronze Age to Early Iron Age (c.1450-400BC); 4. Middle to Late Iron Age (400 BC - 43 AD); 5. Roman Settlement (AD43 - AD450); 6. Anglo-Saxon burial and settlement (AD450-650); 7. Medieval and post-medieval field systems; 8. Discussion; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Dr Vyron Antoniadis presents a contextual study of the Near Eastern imports which reached Crete during the Early Iron Age and were deposited in the Knossian tombs. Cyprus, Phoenicia, North Syria and Egypt are the places of origin of these imports. Knossian workshops produced close or freer imitations of these objects. The present study reveals the ways in which imported commodities were used to create or enhance social identity in the Knossian context. The author explores the reasons that made Knossians deposit imported objects in their graves as well as investigates whether specific groups could control not only the access to these objects but also the production of their imitations. Dr Antoniadis argues that the extensive use of locally produced imitations alongside authentic imports in burial rituals and contexts indicates that Knossians treated both imports and imitations as items of the same symbolic and economic value.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; Chapter 1: Death and her Objects: Theoretical Approaches; Chapter 2: Would you like your tomb with or without dromos? Tombs and Society in EIA Knossos; Chapter 3: The Near Eastern Connection: The Finds and their Contexts; Chapter 4: Who gets the Imports and who the Imitations?; Conclusion: An Overview of the Knossian Early Iron Age Society; Appendix I: The Tombs and the Burials; Appendix II: Imports and Imitations; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisBodies of Maize, Eaters of Grain provides a comparative study of the earliest urban civilisations of the Maya lowlands and the Greek mainland. It builds upon earlier comparative studies by Gordon Childe, Robert Adams and Bruce Trigger, extending their work into new directions. Specifically, the focus lies on the art styles of the Late Preclassic lowland Maya and Mycenaean Greece. The approach used here seeks to combine more traditional iconographic approaches with more recent models on metaphor and the social agency of things. Comparing Maya and Mycenaean art styles through the three aspects of metaphor, semiotics and praxis, their differences and similarities are made clear. The book shows art to have played a more active role in the development of the earliest urban civilisations, rather than passively reflecting economic and political trends. In that way, the social role of art provides a key to understanding the relations between the different factors in the development of the two societies, as they played out at different temporal and geographical scales. To understand this, the notion of distinct Maya and Mycenaean ‘material worlds’, involving both materials and ideas, is proposed, with consequences for models about the earliest urban civilisations in general.Table of ContentsSummary ; Chapter One: Introduction ; Chapter Two: Philosophical - Methodological Issues for Cross-cultural Comparison in Archaeology ; Chapter Three: Introduction to Mycenaean Early Civilisation ; Chapter Four: General Characteristics of Mycenaean Art ; Chapter Five: Contexts and Agency of Mycenaean Art ; Chapter Six: Introduction to Late Preclassic Lowland Maya Early Civilisation ; Chapter Seven: General Characteristics of Late Preclassic Lowland Maya Art ; Chapter Eight: Contexts and Agency of Late Preclassic Lowland Maya Art ; Chapter Nine: Comparing the Art of the Mycenaean and Late Preclassic Lowland Maya Early Civilisations ; Chapter Ten: Conclusion ; Bibliography ; Appendix: Overview of the Narrative Micro-structures in the San Bartolo Wall-paintings

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Book SynopsisThe present volume originated in session A25b (‘Current Approaches to Collective Burials in the Late European Prehistory’) of the XVII World Congress of the International Union of the Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), held in Burgos in September 2014. Collective burials are quite a common feature in Prehistoric Europe, with the gathering of multiple individuals in a shared burial place occurring in different types of burial structures (natural caves, megalithic structures, artificial caves, corbelled-roof tombs, pits, etc.). Such features are generally associated with communities along the agropastoralist transition and fully agricultural societies of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic. For a long time, human skeletal remains exhumed from collective burials were dismissed as valuable sources of information, their studies being limited mostly to morphological assessments and subsequent classification in predefined ‘races’. They currently represent a starting point for diversified, often interdisciplinary, research projects, allowing for a more accurate reconstruction of funerary practices, as well as of palaeobiological and environmental aspects, which are fundamental for the understanding of populations in the Late Prehistory of Europe and of the processes leading to the emergence of agricultural societies in this part of the world. The articles in this volume provide examples of different approaches currently being developed on Prehistoric collective burials of southern Europe, mostly focusing on case studies, but also including contributions of a more methodological scope.Table of ContentsIn Memoriam Rui Boaventura (February 10th 1971 – May 28th 2016) – Ana Catarina Sousa, Tiago Tomé, Ana Maria Silva Foreword to the XVII UISPP Congress Proceedings Series Edition – Luiz Oosterbeek Introduction – Tiago Tomé, Marta Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, Ana Maria Silva and Claudia Cunha Tomb 3 at La Pijotilla (Solana de los Barros, Badajoz, Spain): A Bioarchaeological Study of a Copper Age Collective Burial – Marta Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, Charlotte A. Roberts, Leonardo García Sanjuán and Victor Hurtado Pérez On the applicability of the assessment of dental tooth wear for the study of collective prehistoric burials – Luís Miguel Marado, Claudia Cunha, G. Richard Scott, Tiago Tomé, Hugo Machado and Ana Maria Silva Cova de Can Sadurní (Begues, Barcelona). Towards the definition of a multiple funerary model inside caves during the middle Neolithic I in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula – Manuel Edo, Ferran Antolín, Pablo Martínez, Concepció Castellana, Remei Bardera, María Saña, M. Mercè Bergadà, Josep Maria Fullola, Chus Barrio, Elicínia Fierro, Trinidad Castillo and Eva Fornell Mora Cavorso Cave: a collective underground burial in Neolithic central Italy – Mario F. Rolfo, Katia F. Achino and Letizia Silvestri Bioarchaeological approach to the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic population of Cameros megalithic group (La Rioja, Spain) – Teresa Fernández-Crespo Anthropological and taphonomical study of human remains from the burial cave of El Espinoso (Ribadedeva, Asturias, Spain) – Borja González Rabanal, Manuel Ramón González Morales and Ana Belén Marín Arroyo Diet and ritual in the western Mediterranean Copper Age: human and animal stable isotopes from the collective burial at S. Caterina di Pittinuri (Sardinia, Italy) – Luca Lai, Ornella Fonzo, Elena Usai, Luca Medda, Robert Tykot, Ethan Goddard, David Hollander and Giuseppa Tanda The artificial caves of Valencina de la Concepción (Seville) – Pedro M. López Aldana and Ana Pajuelo Pando Multiple burials in pit graves from Recent Prehistory at Southwest of Iberia: The cases of Monte do Vale do Ouro 2 (Ferreira do Alentejo), Ribeira de S. Domingos 1 and Alto de Brinches 3 (Serpa) – Tânia Pereira, Ana Maria Silva, António Valera, Eduardo Porfírio

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Book SynopsisThe architecture of the temple at Baitokaike shares the characteristics that are typical of the Phoenician region especially during the imperial era. Baitokaike corresponds to that Phoenician tradition, but our knowledge about the foundation of these shrines and their development is still limited. This study aims to deepen this topic, while proposing new chronological phases of the site, starting from the time when it was an open cult place, through the architectural analysis of its buildings. In addition, it reexamines the Seleucid and Roman privileges of the sanctuary in order to extend our understanding of the territory of Baitokaike: agriculture, production and trade, the connecting roads and transport to nearby urban centers. Finally, the study of the iconography of the Greco-Latin inscriptions on site reveal the nature of the Zeus cult at Baitokaike as well as the rituals and processions that took place in the sanctuary. This monograph also contains three appendices. The first is a collection of the Greek-Latin inscriptions found on the site, and includes an unpublished inscription found on an altar in the sanctuary. The second appendix constitutes a numismatic study of 46 coins uncovered during the excavation of 2004. Finally, the last appendix presents a catalogue of selected archaeological finds like pottery sherds, bronze and bones objects; Il complesso di Baitokaike (Hoson Sulaiman) è considerato uno degli esempi più peculiari di santuari rurali romani in Siria che pongono la problematica relativa alla creazione dei luoghi di culto extraurbani e il loro sviluppo architettonico durante il periodo classico. Questo lavoro si propone di affrontare tale problematica su un piano archeologico e storico esaminando nel dettaglio la morfologia spaziale e architettonica del complesso di Baitokaike tramite un’analisi comparata dei suoi edifici con altre strutture religiose siriane e dell’Asia Minore, e mediante una accurata classificazione delle sue evidenze epigrafiche, numismatiche e di altri materiali archeologici, per lo più inediti, provenienti dai recenti scavi nel sito. Il libro è teso a discutere anche lo status politico e amministrativo di Baitokaike e il suo territorio sacro durante l’epoca ellenistica e romana tramite uno studio epigrafico delle sue iscrizioni, soprattutto quelle relative ai privilegi concessi dai Seleucidi e confermati successivamente dagli imperatori romani. Il fulcro di questo lavoro, dunque, è quello di riesaminare l’architettura del complesso monumentale di Baitokaike e di proporre un suo nuovo inquadramento cronologico.Table of ContentsPremessa Capitolo 1. Analisi architettonica e funzionale Capitolo 2. Analisi cronologica Capitolo 3. La fondazione del luogo di culto a Baitokaike Capitolo 4. I privilegi del santuario Capitolo 5. Il territorio sacro di Baitokaike Capitolo 6. Il culto di Zeus a Baitokaike Conclusioni Appendice I. Iscrizioni greco-romane Appendice II. Monete di Baitokaike Appendice III. Elenco dei materiali archeologici scelti Bibliografia Generale Abstract (in English)

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Book SynopsisFrom the Fjords to the Nile brings together essays by students and colleagues of Richard Holton Pierce (b. 1935), presented on the occasion of his 80th birthday. It covers topics on the ancient world and the Near East. Pierce is Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Bergen. Starting out as an expert in Egyptian languages, and of law in Greco-Roman Egypt, his professional interest has spanned from ancient Nubia and Coptic Egypt, to digital humanities and game theory. His contributions as scholar, teacher, supervisor and informal advisor to Norwegian studies in Egyptology, classics, archaeology, history, religion, and linguistics through more than five decades can hardly be overstated.Table of ContentsPreface; Nubians move from the margins to the center of their history – László Török; Potsherds on the grave. On burial traditions in the Renk area, South Sudan – Else Johansen Kleppe; Reconstructing a codex with the Coptic Encomia on Apa Victor – Alexandros Tsakos; Bridging Gaps: Archaeological sources and resources in museums – Saphinaz-Amal Naguib; ‘Egypt and the recalcitrant Pharaoh.’ Origin and function of a biblical motif – Kåre Berge; A ‘Sayings Gospel’ attested at Nag Hammadi – Einar Thomassen; Chaotic mothers and creepy shadows. Metaphors of procreation and vision in On the Origin of the World (NHC II, 5) – Ingvild Sælid Gilhus; Liquid Images and the poetics of vision in ancient Greece – Jørgen Bakke; Umm Gumyāna and the Zār – Richard Johan Natvig; Trade and religion in the Central Sahara. The Ibāḍīs and Kawar – Knut Vikør; Fluidité et fixité dans les néotextes numériques – Daniel Apollon

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Book SynopsisAnthropomorphic objects from the Egyptian Predynastic have been a topic of frequent study and debate, from the time they were first excavated until today. These objects, including human figurines, hippopotamus tusks, tag amulets and combs carved with the human image, continue to fascinate and perplex scholars today. Objects such as these form part of the extensive and distinctive iconographic imagery of Predynastic Egypt, and are often interpreted solely in the context of their symbolic or iconographic significance. The aim of this study is to examine these anthropomorphic objects in terms of their original context in order to determine what role they played in Predynastic burials – a useful method, as most of these objects are found in graves. A database comprising all provenanced anthropomorphic Predynastic objects and their placement in the grave, in addition to the details of each grave, has been composed in order to conduct a detailed analysis. The analysis is geared to answer the question of whether it is possible to determine the function of these objects from the available data, and if so, what the results could tell us about burial practices and rituals in Predynastic Egypt. It became clear from the results that the context, especially the specific placement of the object in the grave, can reflect significantly the meaning and function of anthropomorphic objects. The placement and function seems to have depended on the type of object: for instance, figurines had different placements and meanings to tusks and tags. Ultimately, it appears that anthropomorphic objects, especially figurines, were personal items with which the deceased were identified and buried by their relations and friends. They may have served as magical or protective items, or as representations of ancestors or the deceased individuals themselves. This conclusion is significant, as it confirms the previous assumptions about the functions of anthropomorphic objects in Predynastic graves through a thorough analysis of available data, making a contribution to our understanding of Predynastic burial rituals.Table of ContentsCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ; CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY OF PREDYNATIC FIGURINES ; CHAPTER 3: METHODS OF ANALYSIS ; CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND RESULTS ; CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION ; CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ; APPENDIX I: THE OBJECT CATALOGUE ; APPENDIX II: ADDITIONAL GRAVES ; APPENDIX III: ASSOCIATED OBJECTS ; APPENDIX IV - LIST OF OBJECTS AND FIGURES ; FIGURES ; BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisColourless glass, deliberately decolorized with manganese or antimony, became prominent between the middle of the 1st century AD and the beginning of the 4th century. This book reflects the diversity of glass objects (tableware, containers and small objects) and is designed as a practical manual divided into three parts. The first presents contexts in which colourless glass has been found; the second, in the form of index cards, is a typological catalogue which gives an overall picture of the colourless glassware found throughout Gaul; glass is highly useful as a dating tool but also tells us much about the economic, social and cultural aspects of its time. Chemical analyses form the third component. The volume of material gathered in this book makes it an indispensable working tool for researchers and students interested in the glassware of Roman antiquity. Le verre incolore, volontairement décoloré au manganèse ou à l’antimoine, est celui qui est le plus souvent utilisé entre le milieu du Ier s. apr. J.-C. et le début du IVe s. Verres incolores de L’antiquité romaine en Gaule et aux marges de la Gaule rend compte de la diversité de ce mobilier (vaisselle, contenants et petits objets) est conçu comme un manuel pratique divisé en trois parties. La première présente des contextes renfermant du verre incolore ; la seconde, sous forme de fiches, est un catalogue typologique qui livre une image globale de la verrerie incolore découverte dans l’ensemble de la Gaule. Outil de datation, le verre nous informe aussi sur les aspects économiques, sociaux et culturels de son époque. Les analyses chimiques forment le troisième volet. La masse documentaire réunie dans cet ouvrage en fait un instrument de travail indispensable aux chercheurs et étudiants qui s’intéressent au verre de l’Antiquité romaine.Table of ContentsVolume 1: Introduction; Avertissement; Abréviations; Bibliographie; Partie 1: Assemblages; Planches typologiques synthétiques; Volume 2: Partie 2 : Catalogue typologique; 1 Skyphoi, canthares et trullea; 2 Gobelets, coupes et cuillères moulés (?) et à décor taillé; 3 Gobelets et coupes à lèvre coupée; 4 Gobelets à pied annulaire et à lèvre arrondie; 5 Verres à pied à balustre ou à pied tronconique et à lèvre arrondie; 6 Bols, coupes et gobelets à lèvre arrondie ou coupée; 7 Assiettes et coupes moulées; 8 Assiettes et coupes soufflées; 9 Petits contenants et amphores; 10 Flacons allongés : fusiformes, tronconiques et cylindriques; 11 Bouteilles ansées; 12 Flacons sphériques; 13 Flacons ovoïdes, piriformes et tronconiques; 14 Cruches et flacons à panse aplatie; 15 Cruches et flacons à tubulure; 16 Cruches; 17 Flacons, autres objets insolites et vitres; 18 Les décors sur les verres incolores; Partie 3 : Analyses chimiques; Contribution à l’étude des verres décolorés à l’antimoine; Annexes; Abstract (English)

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Book SynopsisPerspectives on materiality in ancient Egypt – agency, cultural reproduction and change expresses the authors’ broad theoretical interest on materiality and how it helps us to understand the crucial role of material culture in ancient Egyptian society in a more complex way. In the volume, mainly young scholars in Brazil, France, Germany and the UK approach the potential of materiality based on several case studies covering a wide range of topics such as Egyptian art, recent perspectives on sex and gender, hierarchies, and the materiality of textual sources and images. The idea of gathering young scholars to discuss ‘materiality’ first took place in the form of a colloquium organised in São Paulo, but soon after became a more encompassing project aspiring to produce a publication. The editors’ aimed to include researchers from various places, which makes the volume a materialisation of fruitful collaborations between individuals coming from different scholarly traditions. The combination of different ways of looking at the ancient material culture can hopefully contribute to the renovation of theory and practice in Egyptology. The editors believe that the emphasis on diversity— of background histories, national traditions and mind-sets—is one the main elements that can be used to boost new perspectives in a connected, globalised and hopefully less unequal world.Table of ContentsForeword – by Lonneke Delpeut; Editors’ Foreword; Divine worship and action: representations of the Amarna Royal Family – by Gisela Chapot; Children and materiality in Ancient Egypt – by Benjamin Hinson; Materiality and cultural reproduction in non‐elite cemeteries – by Rennan Lemos; The sap of life: materiality and sex in the divine birth legend of Hatshepsut and Amenhotep III – by Uroš Matić; Texts, materiality and agency in Middle Kingdom literature – by Érika Maynart; “All that glitters is not gold”: the symbolism and materiality of Egyptian funerary amulets – by Carmen Muñoz Pérez; Materiality and history: some reflections – by Marcelo Rede; The acting image and the materialisation of social realities – by Carolina Velloza; Agency and representation of Nubians in Egyptian iconography in the 18th Dynasty: ethnic strategies and negotiations – by Fábio Amorim Vieira

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Book SynopsisThe ancient city of Hatra is located 80 km southwest of the modern city of Mosul. The site reached its apogee during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, arriving at the striking dimensions of c. 300 hectares and into a new role as the capital of a significant buffer state between the Parthian and Roman empires. This volume is devoted to the study of the landscape surrounding Hatra and of the development of this important city, drawing on published information gathered by Iraqi and foreign expeditions, as well as unpublished data garnered from over fifteen years of fieldwork at the site by the Italian Archaeological Expedition. The study of the landscape comprehends the morphology, hydrology and geology of the region and offers new proposals regarding the exploitation of natural resources and the development of regional and local routes through the territory under Hatra’s political and military control during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The analysis of Hatra as an urban centre consists of a detailed study of the city’s hydrology, street network and urban areas, with the purpose of detecting the principles behind the planning and development of the city. The main elements of the urban space are treated in this book: the Temenos area and the Small Shrines, the Necropoles, the Fortifications, the Houses, and the Palaces. Due to the cross-referencing of archaeological, historical and epigraphic data, new ideas have been proposed regarding the chronological phases of urbanism at Hatra, from its foundation up to the destruction of the city by the Sasanian army in AD 241. La città di Hatra si trova nella Jazira irachena a circa 80 km a sud-ovest di Mosul. Il centro raggiunse il suo apogeo durante il II-III sec. d.C., toccando l’impressionante estensione di quasi 300 ettari e divenendo la capitale di un influente stato cuscinetto, collocato tra l’impero partico e l’impero romano. Questo volume è dedicato allo studio del territorio e dell’urbanistica di questo importante sito antico, impiegando contestualmente informazioni edite, raccolte dalle varie missioni irachene e straniere che si sono avvicendate sul terreno, e inedite, provenienti dal vasto Archivio della Missione Archeologica Italiana a Hatra in più di quindici anni di ricerche sul campo. Lo studio del territorio definisce un quadro dettagliato della morfologia, idrologia e geologia della regione e dell’area prossima al centro, oltre a proporre alcune nuove ipotesi interpretative sullo sfruttamento delle risorse ambientali, sull’articolazione della rete viaria periurbana e regionale e sull’estensione del territorio sottoposto al controllo politico e militare della città durante il II e III sec. d.C. L’analisi urbanistica comprende uno studio approfondito dell’idrologia cittadina, della rete stradale e delle aree urbane, allo scopo di individuarne le principali caratteristiche ed eventuali regole nella pianificazione e nello sviluppo della città. Nel libro sono inoltre analizzati i principali elementi che compongono il tessuto urbano: il Temenos e i templi minori, le necropoli, le difese cittadine, le case e i palazzi. Grazie all’utilizzo contestuale del dato archeologico, storico ed epigrafico, è stato inoltre possibile formulare nuove ipotesi sulle fasi urbanistiche e sulla cronologia di Hatra dalla fondazione alla sua distruzione, avvenuta per mano sasanide nel 241 d.C.

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