Archaeology by period / region Books

Book SynopsisAs part of the TAVO-project in the Petra area conducted by H.G. Gebel in 1984, the Natufian site of Sunakh is here presented with a technological analysis of a number of attributes on the debitage including the core reduction technique, as well as a typological analysis of the tool types.

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Book SynopsisClassica et Mediaevalia is an international periodical, published annually, with articles written by Danish and International scholars. The articles are mainly written in English, but also in French and German. The periodical deals from a philological point of view with Classical Antiquity in general and topics such as history of law and philosophy and the medieval ecclesiastic history. It covers the period from the Greco-Roman Antiquity until the Late Middle Ages.

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Book SynopsisClassica et Mediaevalia is an international periodical, published annually, with articles written by Danish and International scholars. The articles are mainly written in English, but also in French and German. The periodical deals from a philological point of view with Classical Antiquity in general and topics such as history of law and philosophy and the medieval ecclesiastic history. It covers the period from the Greco-Roman Antiquity until the Late Middle Ages.

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Book SynopsisCommunities in Contact represents the outcome of the Fourth International Leiden in the Caribbean symposium entitled From Prehistory to Ethnography in the circum-Caribbean. The contributions included in this volume cover a wide range of topics from a variety of disciplines - archaeology, bioarchaeology, ethnohistory and ethnography - revolving around the themes of mobility and exchange, culture contact, and settlement and community. The application of innovative approaches and the multi-dimensional character of these essays have provided exiting new perspectives on the indigenous communities of the circum-Caribbean and Amazonian regions throughout prehistory until the present.

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Book SynopsisDieses Buch bietet eine umfassende Studie zum Jungneolithikum (JN, auch Einzelgrabkultur, ca. 2850 – 2250 v. Chr.) in Schleswig-Holstein. Neben einer detaillierten Darstellung aller Funde und Befunde dieser Epoche, liegt ein besonderer Fokus auf Analysen zu den charakteristischen Streitäxten.Diese eignen sich in hervorragender Weise dazu, einen gesellschaftlichen Wandel zu erkennen, da die morphologische Variationsbreite im Laufe des JN zunimmt. So existieren im späten JN neben sehr elaboriert gestalteten Stücken auch plump wirkende Exemplare. Dies spiegelt vermutlich ein komplexer werdendes Gesellschaftssystem wider und deutet einen Bedeutungswandel der Äxte an. Die Streitäxte werden im Spätneolithikum(SN) durch die Silexdolche abgelöst, die durch ähnliche Variationsunterschiede gekennzeichnet sind. Dies deutet eine Kontinuität in der sozialen Organisation an der Wende zum SN an.Viele Streitäxte liegen im fragmentierten Zustand vor, wobei Schneiden- weitaus häufiger als Nackenhälften belegt sind. Da viele dieser Fragmente weiterhin im Besitz von Applikationen (Schälchen, pars pro toto Schaftlöcher) sind, ist anzunehmen, dass die Fragmente – und darauf aufbauend vermutlich ein Großteil aller Streitäxte aus Einzelfundkontexten – intentionale Deponierungen darstellen.Ein weiterer Fokus wurde auf die Transformation zum JN gelegt, die sich besonders im profanen Bereich als Phase kontinuierlicher Entwicklungen zeigt. Weiterhin wurde ein Unterschied zwischen dem Westen und Osten des Arbeitsgebietes aufgedeckt, der entgegen langläufiger Meinung keine chronologischen Ursachen besitzt. Vielmehr zeigt sich darin eine strukturell unterschiedliche soziale Orientierung der beteiligten Gruppen. Sowohl im JN als auch im SN ist es im Westen gängige Praxis, dem Verstorbenen Statusobjekte (Streitäxte, Silexdolche und früheBronzeartefakte) als Grabbeigabe mitzugeben, während diese Objekte im Osten des Landes äußerst selten Eingang in Bestattungen fanden, jedoch als Einzel- und im Falle der Bronzeobjekte auch als Depotfunde regelmäßig anzutreffen sind.English abstractThis book offers a comprehensive study of the Younger Neolithic period ([YN], c. 2850 – 2250 BC) of Schleswig-Holstein (SH). Apart from presenting all currently known artefacts and contexts of that period in detail, a particular focus was placed on the examination of YN battle axes. They appear to be the most common artefact that is preserved from the YN, and they are very well suited for investigating social phenomena. These artefacts furthermore changed diachronically.While battle axes of the early stage are shaped more or less equally elaborately, late specimens exhibit significant morphological variation and difference, as some specimens were shaped very elaborately whereas others were quite simple. The same difference has been observed for the subsequently used flint daggers. It is suggested that this difference reflects the emergence of a more stratified society.Many battle axes appear to have been deposited as broken pieces. As the ratio of cutting edges to butt ends is unequal (2:1) both in SH and in a wider region and as many pieces have “decorations” (Applikationen, pars pro toto shaft holes), battle axes are regarded as intentionally deposited. Accordingly, a large proportion of single finds are regarded as intentional depositions.Another focus was set on examining the transition to the YN. It is argued that many aspects that are said to characterize the YN are rooted in the preceding Middle Neolithic. A novelty is that social role becomes marked in funerary contexts. Thus, the transformation to the YN marks a certain point where already initiated societal changes become visible for first time. The examination of certain attributes revealed furthermore that there are differences between western and eastern SH which are not determined by chronological changes only. Rather, general differences appear between western and eastern regions, an in a wider geographical as well as temporal frame, which might be linked to different social orientations – either collectively or individually acting groups.Scales of Transformation SeriesThis is the publication series of the Kiel University research project “CRC 1266” which takes a long-term perspective, from 15,000 BCE to 1 BCE, to investigate processes of transformation in a crucial period of human history, from late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers to early state societies.Funded by the German Research Foundation, the CRC combines research of around 60 scientists from eight institutions and the Johanna-Mestorf-Academy of the Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel as well as the Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA) and the Archaeological State Museum Schloss Gottdorf.Table of Contents1. Einleitung 1.1 Forschungsgeschichte 1.2 Definitionen und Chronologien 1.3 Eingrenzung und Geomorphologie des Arbeitsgebietes 1.4 Vorgehensweise und Repräsentativität 2. Die jungneolithischen Befunde 2.1 Jungneolithische Bestattungen 2.1.1 Grabhügel 2.1.1.1 Repräsentativität und Bevölkerungsgröße 2.1.1.2 Aufbau 2.1.1.3 Ausrichtung und Geschlechtsdimorphismus 2.1.1.4 Wegesysteme 2.1.2 Nachbestattungen in Megalithgräbern 2.1.3 Flachgräber 2.1.4 Brandbestattungen 2.1.5 Sonderbestattungen 2.1.6 Fazit zu den Bestattungsformen 2.2 Jungneolithische Einzel- und Hortfunde 2.2.1 Einzelfunde 2.2.2 Mögliche Ursachen für das Anlegen von Horten 2.2.3 Jungneolithische Hortfunde 2.2.3.1 Hortfunde mit dicknackig-dickblattigen Geradbeilen 2.2.3.2 Hortfunde mit hohlgeschliffenen Silexbeilen 2.2.3.3 Verbreitung der Hortfunde mit Silexbeilen 2.2.3.4 Weitere Hortfunde 2.3 Siedlungen 2.3.1 Siedlungen in den Nachbargebieten 2.3.2 Jungneolithische Siedlungen in Schleswig-Holstein 2.3.2.1 Indirekte Siedlungsnachweise in Schleswig-Holstein 2.3.2.2 Direkte Siedlungsnachweise in Schleswig-Holstein 2.3.2.2.1 Bad Oldesloe-Wolkenwehe LA 154 2.3.2.2.2 Heidmoor LA 246 2.3.2.2.3 Stolpe-Depenau LA 17 2.3.2.2.4 Wangels LA 505 2.3.2.2.5 Groß-Waabs LA 122 2.3.2.2.6 Hemmingstedt LA 2 2.3.3 Nachnutzung Grabenwerke 2.3.4 Schnurkeramische Häuser und Siedlungsmuster 2.3.5 Pollenanalysen und Subsistenzstrategien 3. Die jungneolithischen Funde 3.1 Jungneolithische Streitäxte 3.1.1 Probleme der Streitaxttypologie 3.1.2 Synchronisation der Typologien 3.1.2.1 Synchronisation der A-Äxte 3.1.2.2 Synchronisation der B-Äxte 3.1.2.3 Synchronisation der C-Äxte 3.1.2.4 Synchronisation der D-, E- und F-Äxte . 3.1.2.5 Synchronisation der G-, H- und I-Äxte 3.1.2.6 Synchronisation der K- und L-Äxte 3.1.2.7 Synchronisationsanleitung 3.1.3 Typologie der Streitäxte und Vorkommen in Schleswig-Holstein 3.1.3.1 A-Äxte 3.1.3.2 B-Äxte 3.1.3.3 C-Äxte 3.1.3.4 D-Äxte 3.1.3.5 E-Äxte 3.1.3.6 F-Äxte 3.1.3.7 G-Äxte 3.1.3.8 H-Äxte 3.1.3.9 I-Äxte 3.1.3.10 K-Äxte 3.1.3.11 L-Äxte 3.1.3.12 Sonderformen 3.1.3.13 Unbestimmte Streitäxte 3.1.4 Chronologie der Streitäxte 3.2 Die Keramik 3.2.1 Einleitung 3.2.2 Vorbemerkungen zu A-Bechern 3.2.3 Vorkommen und Signifikanzen ausgewählter Attribute 3.2.3.1 A-Becher 3.2.3.2 B-Becher 3.2.3.3 C-Becher 3.2.3.4 D-Becher 3.2.3.5 Schalen Typ E 3.2.3.6 Amphoren Typ F 3.3 Silexbeile und Silexmeißel 3.3 Silexbeile und Silexmeißel 3.3.1 Vorbemerkungen zur Aufnahme und weiteren Vorgehensweise 3.3.2 Generelle Aspekte 3.3.3 Typologische Aspekte 3.3.3.1 Unterscheidung zu mittelneolithischen Beilen 3.3.3.2 Jungneolithische Silexbeile 3.3.3.3 Unterscheidung der jungneolithischen Silexbeile 3.3.4 Vorkommen in Schleswig-Holstein 3.4 Die Pfeilspitzen 3.5 Sonstige Silexgeräte 3.6 Sonstige Felsgesteingeräte 3.6.1 Zapfenkeile 3.6.2 Felsgesteinbeile 3.6.3 Keulenköpfe 3.6.4 Schleif-, Polier-, Mahl- und Ambosssteine 3.7 Bernsteinartefakte 3.8 Armschutzplatten 3.9 Metallartefakte 3.10 Weitere Artefakte 4. Befund und Fund – Zusammenfassende Betrachtungen 4.1 Streitäxte in Bezug auf die Kontexte 5. Analysen 5.1 Gesteinsanalysen 5.2 Analysen zu den morphologischen Attributen 5.2.1 Die Testregionen 5.2.2 Verzierungen 5.2.3 Längen 5.2.4 Schliff 5.2.5 Längen und Schliff 5.2.6 Zwischenfazit zu den Analysen 5.3 Fragmente und Applikationen 5.3.1 Entwicklung 5.4 Deutung der Analysen 5.4.1 Überlegungen zur Bedeutung von Fragmenten und Applikationen 5.4.2 Vorbemerkungen zum Bedeutungswandel der Streitäxte im Wandel der Zeit 5.4.3 Gebrauch 5.4.4 Die Bedeutung der Streitaxt im Wandel der Zeit 5.5 Zusammenfassende Deutung von Einzelfunden, Fragmenten und Schälchen 6. Das Jungneolithikum in Schleswig-Holstein 6.1 Geografische Differenzierung – Kritische Überprüfung klassischer Narrative 6.2 Wirtschaftliche und soziale Aspekte 6.2.1 Transformation vom Mittel- zum Jungneolithikum 6.2.2 Mobilität und Bedeutung des geteilten Zeichensystems 6.2.2.1 Soziale Rollen 6.3 Der Übergang zu den Metallzeiten 6.4 Schlussbetrachtungen 7. Zusammenfassung 8. Summary 9. Literaturverzeichnis 10. Katalog 10.1 Vorbemerkungen zum Katalog 10.2 Kreis Dithmarschen 10.3 Stadt Flensburg 10.4 Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg 10.5 Stadt Kiel 10.6 Stadt Lübeck 10.7 Stadt Neumünster 10.8 Kreis Nordfriesland 10.9 Kreis Ostholstein 10.10 Kreis Pinneberg 10.11 Kreis Plön 10.12 Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde 10.13 Kreis Schleswig-Flensburg 10.14 Kreis Segeberg 10.15 Kreis Steinburg 10.16 Kreis Stormarn 10.17 Schleswig-Holstein ohne Fundortangaben 11. Abkürzungsverzeichnis 12. Tafeln

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Book SynopsisHistory writing now includes diverse sources beyond text. Indological discourse on ancient India criticized for limiting interpretations. Seeking History through Her Source explores neglected sources, local perspectives for nuanced understanding of the past. Valuable for history enthusiasts seeking broader view of research.

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Book SynopsisMalta's national museum of archaeology is housed in one of the most stylish baroque buildings still distinguishable in Valletta, more precisely at the Auberge de Provence, in Republic Street. The ground floor hosts artefacts from Malta's unique neolithic period, which spans from the ghar dalam phase to the tarxien phase. Artefacts of particular distinction are The Sleeping Lady and The Venus of Malta. The display includes numerous artefacts used as implements, human and animal figurines, as well as personal decorative items. A number of monumental architectural altars illuminate the art of the ancient prehistoric craftsmen.

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Book SynopsisIt took 20 years to build the Great Pyramid. By the time its capstone was laid in 2560 BC, the innovations born of the building quest had transformed agrarian Egypt into the world's most modern, most powerful nation. This book follows the progress of Hemienu, the architect who planned, organized and oversaw construction of the Great Pyramid.Trade Review"Houdin's theory solves many mysteries about the huge structure." -- Scientific American " The authors' prose is lucid, aided by drawings and photos, and the theories are intriguing." -- Publishers Weekly "It's a plausible theory, well-illustrated, and makes a useful addition to the always seductive study of pyramids...An intriguing new twist to an old enigma." -- Kirkus Reviews " Great fun for Egyptophiles." -- Barbara Mertz, author of Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphics "A serious attempt at a new explanation for one of the oldest Egyptological mysteries." -- Peter Der Manuelian, Giza Archives Project Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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Book SynopsisThe Hunter, the Stag, and the Mother of Animals offers an in-depth exploration of the changing traditions of belief in pre-Bronze and Bronze Age North Asia. Esther Jacobson-Tepfer centers her argument on a female deity and her evolution up until the early Iron Age, across a 2,000 year period. Through the art historical and archaeological evidence of the symbolic systems left behind, she traces the progression of the deity from an originating animal mother through her incarnation as the mother of animals, her late embodiment as the guardian of the road to the land of the dead, the transformation of her essential liminality into the structures of predation and, in the form of a predated stag, her subsequent destruction. In detailed commentaries on rock art structures and monuments, Jacobson-Tepfer reconstructs and explores how the deity''s power was embedded in the Janus-faced concept of life/death: how, in all her forms, the deity occupied the threshold between the worlds of humans and Trade ReviewProfessor Jacobson-Tepfer offers to readers her outstanding first-hand knowledge and deep understanding of unique Eurasian civilizations: the societies of ancient hunters, nomadic mounted pastoralists, and their animal symbolism. Archaeology, art history, and the history of religions, including shamanism, are synthesized by using careful scientific theoretical approaches. * Henri-Paul Francfort, Director of the French Archaeological Mission in Central Asia. *The Hunter, the Stag, and the Mother of Animals is an important book not only in terms of its value as a scientific treatise nonpareil but also as an elegant exploration of the prehistoric human mind with implications far beyond the geographical and temporal focus of Jacobson-Tepfer's study. Her lucid, informative and entertaining writing is complemented by superb illustrations, including world-class photographs contributed by her husband, world-renowned photographer, Gary Tepfer. * John W. Olsen, University of Arizona *this assessment of long-muted societies is an inspired triumph of dedicated scholarship and an inspirational work of art in its own right. It may well remain the most revealing interpretation of ancient rock art in South Siberia until the stones themselves begin to speak with human voices. * E. J. Vajda, CHOICE *This lavishly illustrated book is highly recommended to anyone interested in rock art, standing stones, the material manifestation of myth, the archaeology of North Asia, sacred landscapes and the archaeology of belief. * Paul Taçon, Time & Mind *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations: Maps, Figures ; Preface ; Chapter One: The Transformation of Image, Object and Belief in Prehistoric North Asia ; Chapter Two: The Appearance of the Animal Mother ; Chapter Three: The Persistence of Liminal Beings ; Chapter Four: The Mother of Animals ; Chapter Five: The Emergence of Pictorial Narrative ; Chapter Six: Intimations of Death and Transformation ; Chapter Seven: The End of Naturalism in Nomadic Art ; Chapter Eight: The Pivot Between Life and Death ; Chapter Nine: Traces of Ancient Beliefs ; Chapter Ten: The Archaeology of Belief ; Appendix: The Dating of Rock Art ; List of Abbreviations ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisHow did human thought evolve into the highly complex process it is today? In the field of evolutionary cognitive archaeology, cognitive science and archaeology intersect to provide a more complete and grounded picture of the mind. With the combination of cognitive theories and archaeological evidence, this burgeoning field is only beginning to tap into the potential for a better understanding of the development of specific cognitive abilities.Cognitive Models in Palaeolithic Archaeology explores hominin cognitive development by applying formal cognitive models to analyze prehistoric remains from the entire range of the Palaeolithic, from the earliest stone tools 3.3 million years ago to artistic developments that emerged 50,000 years ago. Several different cognitive models are presented, including expert cognition, information processing, material engagement theory, embodied/extended cognition, neuroaesthetics, visual resonance theory, theory of mind, and neuronal recycling. By examiniTrade Review<"This is an area of great importance in understanding humanity, one of rapid development and one where new views of theory and practice are essential to continued progress. Thomas Wynn and Frederick L. Coolidge have put together a fascinating new collection that has real substance and is both topical and thought-provoking. It will be a 'must read' for a professional audience, and can provide a useful spine for teaching cognitive evolution modules. This book will certainly be seen as on the cutting edge of current thinking.> * John Gowlett, PhD, Professor of Archaeology, University of Liverpool *<"If mind is a process, we need to investigate the relationships among its parts. This book frames cognitive models into an evolutionary perspective, a necessary step to disclose those relationships. Knowledge is about questions, and this publication shows that cognitive archaeology is now looking for its own ones.> * Emiliano Bruner, PhD, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (España) *<"This offering from the standard bearers of cognitive archaeology will be a stimulating read, with both new ways of looking at the record and new ideas of when and where specific cognitive abilities are first manifested. I am particularly excited by the number of developments in cognition, including in expertise and Theory of Mind, that are suggested to occur within the Acheulean period.> * Ceri Shipton, PhD, Fellow in East African Archaeology, British Institute in Eastern Africa, Nairobi; McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Evolutionary Cognitive Archaeology 2. The Expert Cognition Model in Human Evolutionary Studies 3. Towards a richer theoretical scaffolding for interpreting archaeological evidence concerning cognitive evolution 4. Material Engagement and the Embodied Mind 5. Materiality and Numerical Cognition: A Material Engagement Theory Perspective 6. Art without Symbolic Mind: Embodied Cognition and the Origins of Visual Artistic Behavior 7. Deciphering Patterns in the Archaeology of South Africa: The Neurovisual Resonance Theory 8. Accessing hominin cognition: language and social signaling in the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic 9. Bootstrapping Ordinal Thinking 10. Models, Puddings and the Puzzle Index

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Book SynopsisRoman cities have rarely been studied from the perspective of women, and studies of Roman women mainly focus on the city of Rome. Studying the civic participation of women in the towns of Italy outside Rome and in the numerous cities of the Latin-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire, this books offers a new view on Roman women and urban society in the Roman Principate. Drawing on epigraphy and archaeology, and to a lesser extent on legal and literary texts, women''s civic roles as priestesses, benefactresses and patronesses or ''mothers'' of cities and associations (collegia and the Augustales) are brought to the fore. In contrast to the city of Rome, which was dominated by the imperial family, wealthy women in the local Italian and provincial towns had ample opportunity to leave their mark on the city. Their motives to spend their money, time and energy for the benefit of their cities and the rewards their contributions earned them take centre stage. Assessing the meaning and significance of their contributions for themselves and their families and for the cities that enjoyed them, the book presents a new and detailed view of the role of women and gender in Roman urban life.Trade ReviewAnyone engaged in research on the civic lives of women in the Roman West must consult this book, for it is the most comprehensive examination in this field of study and corrects certain misguided views on Roman women based mainly on literary sources. * Rachel Meyers (Iowa State University), T he Journal of Roman Studies Vol.107 *Hemelrijks study helps to redefine both our notions of the roles of Roman women in their local communities and our perceptions of gender at work in the economic and political environments of Roman cities. This is a must read for classicists working on gender in the Roman empire, and especially for teachers of courses on women and gender in the Roman world. * Elizabeth F.Mazurek (University of Notre Dame), Phoenix: Journal of the Classical Association of Canada. *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface ; A Note on Translations ; Abbreviations ; Maps ; Introduction ; 1. A World Full of Cities ; 2. Civic Priesthoods ; 3. Civic Benefactresses ; 4. Social Networks and Civic Associations ; 5. Civic Patronage and 'Motherhood' of Cities and Associations ; 6. Public Honour ; Conclusions ; Appendix: Tables to Chapters 2-6

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Book SynopsisThe biblical image of Eve has powerfully influenced ideas about women for the past two millennia. Yet, as Carol Meyers argues in Discovering Eve, the image of the first of women as subservient and dependent does not represent some irreducible historical truth. Rather, it represents the androcentric constructions of a group of urban elite males (including, most notably, the Apostle Paul and Rabbi Yohannan) who had a decisive effect on the founding of Judaeo-Christian traditions. Meyers produces convincing evidence, archaeological, scriptural, and sociological, that ancient Israelite woman fulfilled a role very different from that of the biblical Eve. The real Eve, she demonstrates, was a figure of some social substance, a strong and important figure in the social and familial milieux.Trade Review'The author has made a special effort to avoid technicaljargon; thus, this book should be accessible to the general reader. Though it will be of special interest to those concerned with biblical history, archaeology, anthropolgy and women's studies, this book will also hold special appeal to women, men, and their relationshiop to one another. Time Outlook

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Book SynopsisReprint of the leading book on the methods of stone construction in Egypt from the beginnings at the pyramid complex of Djoser at Saqqara in 2700 B.C. through the pyramids of the Old and Middle Kingdoms to the hypostyle hall at Karnak and other buildings.The book covers the production, quarrying, and transport of stone and tools used in the buildings, and combats speculative literature on how the builders solved certain technical problems.Trade Review`exhaustive study of the technical aspects of pharaonic stone masonry ... Arnold has trawled assiduously through museum collections and excavation reports. The result is a book that, like the best Egyptological work, makes the most of a disparate reservoir of textual and archaeological sources. Arnold's detailed and pragmatic discussion of evidence for construction ramps, bedding joints and systems of level holes does a great deal to dispel the sensationalism surrounding the creation of the pyramids.' Ian Shaw, Antiquaries Journal, Vol. 71

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Book SynopsisScholars of the Hebrew Bible have in the last decade begun to question the historical accuracy of the Israelite sojourn in Egypt, as described in the book of Exodus. The reason for the rejection of the exodus tradition is said to be the lack of historical and archaeological evidence in Egypt. Those advancing these claims, however, are not specialists in the study of Egyptian history, culture, and archaeology. In this pioneering book, James Hoffmeier examines the most current Egyptological evidence and argues that it supports the biblical record concerning Israel in Egypt.Trade ReviewThis book is an excellent source to use in conjunction with one's study of Exodus, a "must by" for all evangelical professors of Old Testament studies as well as pastors and Bible teachers interested in information regarding the historical reliability of the Israelites' existence in Egypt. Because of the wealth of information and documentation provided in this book, there is truely no other book of its kind. * mark Rooker, Faith and Mission, Vol.17, No.3, Summer 2000. *"This is historical research at its best, with constant attention to primary sources...[Hoffmeier] retains a broad perspective and leaves no stone unturned in his quest to have the epigraphic and archeological evidence shed light on the biblical record of Israel's sojourn in and exodus from Egypt."--Gary Rendsburg, Cornell University

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Book SynopsisBefore the 1970s, biblical archaeology was the dominant research paradigm for those excavating the history of Palestine. Today most people prefer to speak of Syro/Palestinian archaeology. This is not just a normal shift but reflects a major theoretical and methodological change. It has even been labelled a revolution. In the popular mind, however, biblical archaeology is still alive and well. In Shifting Sands, Thomas W. Davis charts the evolution and the demise of the discipline. Biblical archaeology, he writes, was an attempt to ground the historical witness of the Bible in demonstrable historical reality.Trade Reviewbalanced, informed and readable...a very good read. * Theology *

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Book SynopsisModern-day archaeological discoveries in the Near East continue to illuminate our understanding of the ancient world, including the many contributions made by the people of Mesopotamia to literature, art, government, and urban life The Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia describes the culture, history, and people of this land, as well as their struggle for survival and happiness, from about 3500 to 500 BCE. Mesopotamia was the home of a succession of glorious civilizations--Sumeria, Babylonia, and Assyria--which flourished together for more than three millennia. Sumerian mathematicians devised the sixty-minute hour that still rules our lives; Babylonian architects designed the famed Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; Assyrian kings and generals, in the name of imperialism, conducted some of the shrewdest military campaigns in recorded history. Readers will identify with the literary works of these civilizations, such as the Code of Hammurabi and the Epic of GilgamesTrade ReviewBertman, professor emeritus of classics at the University of Windsor, has made a useful contribution to the Handbook to Life series. Covering the lives of Assyrians, Babylonians, and Sumerians from around 3500 to 500 B.C.E., the book is arranged topically, with chapters on geography, archaeology, government, religion, language and literature, arts, and daily life, among other subjects. Bertman's writing is formal but accessible, with touches of dry humor. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs and line drawings, which should copy well. Appendixes include a chronological table and a list of museums with major Mesopotamian collections. * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisSince its violent dissolution in 1521, the Aztec Empire of Mexico has continually intrigued us. Recent discoveries resulting from the excavation of the Templo Mayor in the heart of Mexico City have taught us even more about this fascinating culture. The increasing recognition that the achievements of Mesoamerican civilizations were among the most sophisticated of the ancient world has led to a demand for introductions to the basic methods and theories of scholars working throughout the region. Handbook to Life in the Aztec World gathers the results from recent archaeological discoveries and scholarly research into a single accessible volume. Organized thematically, the handbook covers all aspects of life in the Aztec world: Mesoamerican civilizations and Aztec archeology; evolution of Aztec civilization; geography of the Aztec world; society and government; religion, cosmology, and mythology; funerary beliefs and customs; Aztec art; Aztec architecture; Nahuatl literature; the calendar, astronomy, and mathematics; economy, industry, and trade; daily life; the Aztec after conquest and today. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, and more than 165 original line drawings, photographs, and maps complement the text. Handbook to Life in the Aztec World provides all the essential information required by anyone interested in Aztec history or culture.Table of ContentsLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; LIST OF MAPS; LIST OF TABLES; FOREWORD; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING OF NAHUATL TERMS; MAIN MUSEUMS CONTAINING AZTEC COLLECTIONS; AZTEC POEMS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe life of Arsinoë II (c. 316-c.270 BCE), daughter of Ptolemy Soter, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, is characterized by dynastic intrigue. Her marriage to her full brother Ptolemy II, king of Egypt, was the first of the sibling marriages that became the dynastic signature of the Ptolemies. With Ptolemy II, she ended her days in great wealth and security and was ultimately deified. However, in order to reach that point she was forced to endure two tumultuous marriages, both of which led her to flee for her life, leaving war, murder, and bloodshed in her wake. Throughout much of her life, Arsinoë controlled great wealth and exercised political influence, but domestic stability characterized only her last few years. Arsinoë was the model for the powerful role Ptolemaic women gradually acquired as co-rulers of their empire. Her image continued to play a role in dynastic loyalty and solidarity for centuries to come. Despite the fact that Arsinoë was the pivotal figure in the eventuaTrade ReviewThe Hellenistic Age continues to fascinate. One of the latest, and best, books it's stimulated is Arsinoë of Egypt and Macedon A Royal Life, by that fine fistorian Elizabeth Donnelly Carney... Parsing the propaganda, skilfully plugging the gaps in our tattered evidence, as compulsively readable as she's critically sharp, Carney offers us a work of high scholarship that's also a compulsive page-turner. * Peter Green, The Times Literary Supplement *An interesting and enriching book. * Jean Bartels, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of ContentsAbbreviations ; Timeline ; Genealogical Tables ; Map of Eastern Mediterranean ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Arsinoe's background and youth: 318-14-300 ; Chapter 2: Arsinoe as the wife of Lysimachus: c.300-281 ; Chapter 3: Arsinoe and Ptolemy Ceraunus: 281-279-6 ; Chapter 4: Arsinoe's return to Egypt and marriage to Ptolemy II: 279-275 ; Chapter 5: Arsinoe II as wife of Ptolemy II: c. 275-270 (268) ; Chapter 6: Arsinoe's Afterlife ; Appendix: Sources on the life of Arsinoe II ; Notes ; Glossary ; Important People in the life of Arsinoe II ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisBerenice II (c. 264-221 BCE), daughter of King Magas of Cyrene and wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes, came to embody all the key religious, political, and artistic ideals of Ptolemaic Alexandria. Though she arrived there nearly friendless, with the taint of murder around her, she became one of the most accomplished and powerful of the Macedonian queens descended from the successors of Alexander the Great. She was at the center of a group of important poets and intellectuals associated with the Museum and Library, not the least of which was Callimachus, the most important poet of the age. These men wrote poems not just for her, but about her, and their eloquent voices projected her charisma widely across the Greek-speaking world. Though the range of Berenice''s interests was impressive and the quantity and quality of the poetry she inspired unparalleled, today she is all but known. Assimilating the scant and scattered evidence of her life, Dee L. Clayman presents a woman who was more powerfTrade ReviewBerenice II was a major influence on the cultural and intellectual life of the Ptolemaic court at its zenith. In this first full-scale biography, Dee L. Clayman has brought together historical, material, and literary sources to tease out the remarkable story of this queen's crafting of her own position of power through court intrigue, manipulation of artistic and religious imagery, and close alliance with literary figures such as Callimachus and Apollonius of Rhodes, who celebrated their queen both overtly and covertly in still famous works of poetry. * Kathryn Gutzwiller, University of Cincinnati *Full of interesting and perceptive readings of poems and the intent of poets... While Clayman's strength certainly lies in analysis of poetry and poets, she often employs that knowledge to good effect in topics not narrowly poetic, as in her fascinating discussion of the context for Cynisca of Sparta's victory and the inscriptions created to commemorate it. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *A cornucopia of a book, brimming over with the fruits of deep research and perceptive reading. * Peter M. Green, The Classical Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Abbreviations ; The Family Tree of Berenice II ; Map of The Eastern Meditteranean in the 3rd Century BCE ; Introduction ; One. Birth in Cyrene ; Two. Arrival in Alexandria ; Three. Callimachus on Murder and Marriage ; Four. Apollonius on Murder and Marriage ; Five. Ruling and Racing ; Six. Berenice in Egypt and another Murder ; Appendix: Catullus 66 ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index ; Index Locorum

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Book SynopsisBy far the largest single source of new information about the ancient Greek and Roman world is provided by the flow of newly discovered inscriptions, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity. In order to interpret any inscription we need to be able to apply the knowledge that we already have. On the other hand, inscriptions present the opportunity to gain new knowledge about virtually every aspect of the mix of cultures and societies which we call Graeco-Roman antiquity. This book therefore emphasises the importance of the two-way connections and contributions which link epigraphic studies with the historical sciences as a whole. Epigraphic information is helping to reshape and extend our knowledge of the religious life, the languages, the populations, the governmental systems, and the economies of the Graeco-Roman world. New techniques and technologies are helping to make epigraphically based information more accessible, whether in terms of public display or in terms of the Trade ReviewThis splendid and accessible volume is strongly recommended to all historians of the ancient world * Peter Thonemann, sehepunkte *Table of ContentsPART 1. EPIGRAPHY AND RELIGION ; PART 2. EPIGRAPHY AND LANGUAGE ; PART 3. EPIGRAPHY AND THE ANCIENT POPULATION ; PART 4. EPIGRAPHY AND GOVERNMENT ; PART 5. DISPLAY AND PEDAGOGY ; PART 6 EPIGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS ; PART 7 EPIGRAPHY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ; PART 8 SCHLUSSREDE

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The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial reviews the current state of mortuary archaeology and its practice, highlighting its often contentious place in the modern socio-politics of archaeology. It contains forty-four chapters which focus on the history of the discipline and its current scientific techniques and methods. Written by leading, international scholars in the field, it derives its examples and case studies from a wide range of time periods, such as the middle palaeolithic to the twentieth century, and geographical areas which include Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Combining up-to-date knowledge of relevant archaeological research with critical assessments of the theme and an evaluation of future research trajectories, it draws attention to the social, symbolic, and theoretical aspects of interpreting mortuary archaeology. The volume is well-illustrated with maps, plans, photographs, and illustrations and is ideally suited for students an

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Book SynopsisA study of the religious system of Mithraism, one of the ''mystery cults'' popular in the Roman Empire contemporary with early Christianity. Roger Beck describes Mithraism from the point of view of the initiate engaging with the religion and its rich symbolic system in thought, word, ritual action, and cult life. He employs the methods of anthropology of religion and the new cognitive science of religion to explore in detail the semiotics of the Mysteries'' astral symbolism, which has been the principal subject of his many previous publications on the cult.Trade ReviewGiven Beck's credentials and his reputation as an erudite scholar of the enigmatic mysteries of Mithras, one might rightly expect that this book would break new ground. Beck does not disappoint. The book is engagingly written and is an exemplar of how scholarship can be pursued in a fair, engaging manner. * Richard S. Ascough, Studies in Religion *This makes for an interesting eclectic journey through one of the most mysterious cults in the Roman Empire... Throughout the book this interpretative scheme is filled out with impressively meticulous analysis of the textual evidence, the symbolic structutre of the mithraeum, and the tauroctony. * Anders Lisdorf, Journal of Roman Studies *In learned and fascinationg detail, he explains the mithraeum as both symbolically and actually as a representation of the universe. * Inga Mantle, The Journal of Classics Teaching *not only compulsory reading for any scholar or student working on Mithraism, but ought to be taken full account of also by anyone with an interest in the study of ancient religion in general ... the persistent reader will be rewarded with the rich experience of having his or her thoughts continuously provoked by a great historian of ancient religion in the course of his attempts to make sense of the fascinating phenomena that were the Mithraic mysteries. * Ted Kaiser, Ancient West & East *Table of Contents1. Introduction to interpreting the mysteries: old ways, new ways ; 2. Old ways: the reconstruction of Mithraic doctrine from iconography ; 3. The problem of referents: interpretation with reference to what? ; 4. Doctrine redefined ; TRANSITION: FROM OLD WAYS TO NEW WAYS ; 5. The Mithraic mysteries as symbol system. 1. Introduction and comparisons ; 6. Cognition and representation ; 7. The Mithraic mysteries as symbol system. 2. The mithraeum ; 8. Star-talk: the symbols of the Mithraic mysteries as language signs ; 9. The Mithraic mysteries as symbol system. 3. The tauroctony ; 10. Excursus

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays, by leading international scholars, on the history of the Greek theatre, and on the wider context of festival culture in which theatrical activity took place in the Greek world. The emphasis is on a fresh interpretation of the documentary material - inscriptions, archaeological remains, and monuments.Trade ReviewThis collection, edited by Peter Wilson and developed from an Oxford colloquium held in 2003, takes a fresh look at the documentary evidence for the Greek theatre... Wilson and his contributors succeed in offering this detailed, thoughtful, and illuminating book, which should be essential reading for anyone seriously interested in studying the Greek theatre. * Peter Meineck, Classical World *...impressively rich... * Sheila Murnaghan, The Classical ReviewPaul Cartledge, The Anglo-Hellenic Review *There is much of interest here for scholars in the world of Greek performance * Robin Mitchell-Boyask, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: From the ground up ; I. FESTIVALS AND PERFORMERS: SOME NEW PERSPECTIVES ; 1. Deconstructing festivals ; 2. Theatre rituals ; 3. Artists' participation and the organization of music contests in the Hellenistic period: an attempt at classification ; II. FESTIVALS OF ATHENS AND ATTICA ; 4. The men who built the theatres: theatropolai, theatronai, and arkhitektones ; 5. Choregic monuments and the Athenian democracy ; 6. Performance in the Pythion: the Athenian Thargelia ; III. BEYOND ATHENS ; 7. Dithyramb, Tragedy - and Cyrene ; 8. A Horse from Teos: epigraphical notes on the Ionian-Hellespontine Association of Dionysiac Artists ; 9. Kraton, son of Zotichos: artists' associations and monarchic power in the Hellenistic period ; 10. Theoria and theatre at Samothrace: the Dardanos by Dumas of Iasos ; 11. The Dionysia at Iasos: its artists, patrons, and audience ; 12. An opisthographic lead tablet from Sicily with a financial document and a curse concerning choregoi ; 13. Sicilian choruses

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook on Early China brings 30 scholars together to cover early China from the Neolithic through Warring States periods (ca 5000-500BCE). The study is chronological and incorporates a multidisciplinary approach, covering topics from archaeology, anthropology, art history, architecture, music, and metallurgy, to literature, religion, paleography, cosmology, religion, prehistory, and history.Trade ReviewIn focusing on early Chinese civilization, this handbook is unique ... The Oxford Handbook of Early China fills a niche for those needing a detailed focus on early Chinese civilization. * R. Withers, CHOICE *This handbook is unique.... [It] fills a niche for those needing a detailed focus on early Chinese civilization. * CHOICE *Authoritative and multidisciplinary in scope, this landmark volume offers a comprehensive overview of the latest research trends, paradigms, and approaches in the study of early China, from the Neolithic era to the Warring States period. * International Convention of Asia Scholars Book Prize 2021, Accolades in the Humanities *Table of ContentsList of Contributors SECTION I INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Introduction and Background to The Oxford Handbook on Early China Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Old Dominion University SECTION II NEOLITHIC FARMERS, CERAMICS, AND JADE 1. The Neolithic Revolution in the North ca. 7/6000-2000 bce: Xinglongwa, Xinlei, Yangshao, Hongshan, and Related Cultures (Inequality/Social Complexity) in Neolithic Northern China Andrew Womack, Yale University 2. The Neolithic Revolution in the South, ca. 7/6000-2000 bce, Majiabang, Hemudu, Daxi, and Songze Cultures Xiangming Fang, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology 3. The Neolithic Jade Revolution in Northeast China Chung Tang, Shandong University, Mana Hayashi Tang, Washington University in St. Louis, Guoxiang Liu, Institute of Archaeology, CASS and Yadi Wen, Southern University of Science and Technology 4. The Jade Age Revisited, ca. 3500-2000 bce Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Old Dominion University 5. Liangzhu Culture and the Ancient City of Liangzhu Bin Liu, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology 6. Longshan Culture Issues: Taosi and Cosmology Nu He, Institute of Archaeology, CASS SECTION III FIRST DYNASTY OF THE BRONZE AGE: XIA PERIOD 7. Introduction to the Xia Period: Definitions, Themes, and Debate Hong Xu, Institute of Archaeology, CASS 8. Settlements, Buildings, and Society of the Erlitou Culture Hong Xu, Institute of Archaeology, CASS, and Xiang Li, University of Pittsburgh 9. The Bronze-Casting Revolution and the Ritual Vessel Set Hong Xu, Institute of Archaeology, CASS, and Xiang Li, University of Pittsburgh 10. The Spread of Erlitou yazhang to South China and the Origin and Dispersal of Early Political States Chung Tang, Shandong University and Fang Wang, Jinsha Site Museum SECTION IV THE FIRST HEIGHT OF THE BRONZE AGE: THE SHANG PERIOD 11. The Cultural and Historical Setting of the Shang Jonathan Smith, Christopher Newport University, with Yuzhou Fan, Nanjing University 12. Early and Middle Shang Periods Guoding Song, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 13. Shang Belief and Art Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Old Dominion University 14. Shang Bronze-Casting Technology and Metallurgy Issues Changping Zhang, Wuhan University 15. Late Shang Ritual and Residential Architecture at Great City Shang, Yinxu in Anyang, Henan Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Old Dominion University 16. Late Shang: Fu Zi [Fu Hao] and M5 at Xiaotun Dingyun Cao, Institute of Archaeology, CASS SECTION V THE SECOND HEIGHT OF THE BRONZE AGE: THE WESTERN ZHOU PERIOD 17. Western Zhou Cultural and Historic Setting Maria Khayutina, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich 18. Western Zhou Government and Society Paul Nicholas Vogt, Indiana University 19. Western Zhou Rites and Mortuary Practice (Inscriptions and Texts) Constance A. Cook, Lehigh University 20. Bronze Vessels: Style, Assemblages, and Innovations of the Western Zhou Period Yan Sun, Gettysburg College 21. Bells and Music in the Zhou Scott Cook, Yale-NUS College SECTION VI THE THIRD HEIGHT OF THE BRONZE AGE: SPRINGS AND AUTUMNS PERIOD 22. Historical Background during the Springs and Autumns Period Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem 23. Historiography, Thought, and Intellectual Development during the Springs and Autumns Period Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem 24. Cultures and Styles of Art during the Springs and Autumns Period Xiaolong Wu, Hanover College SECTION VII THE IRON AGE-WARRING STATES PERIOD 25. The Warring States Period: Historical Background Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem 26. Iron Technology and Its Regional Development during the Eastern Zhou Period Wengcheong Lam, Chinese University of Hong Kong 27. Institutional Reforms and Reformers during the Warring States Period Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem 28. Change and Continuity at the Intersection of Received History and the Material Record during the Warring States Period Charles Sanft, University of Tennessee 29. The Army, Wars, and Military Arts during the Warring States Period Albert Galvany, The University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU 30. The Shi, Diplomats, and Urban Expansion during the Warring States Period Andrew Meyer, Brooklyn College 31. Confucius, Mencius, and Their Daoist-Legalist Critics Moss Roberts, New York University 32. Mozi Vincent S. Leung, Lingnan University 33. Mohism and the Evolving Notion of Jian Ai Carine Defoort, University of Leuven 34. Chu Religion and Art John S. Major, Independent Scholar, and Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Old Dominion University 35. The Artistic Revolution in the Warring States Period Jie Shi, Bryn Mawr College Index

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Book SynopsisThe Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory addresses one of the most debated and least understood revolutions in the history of our species, the change from hunting and gathering to farming. Graeme Barker takes a global view, and integrates a massive array of information from archaeology and many other disciplines, including anthropology, botany, climatology, genetics, linguistics, and zoology. Against current orthodoxy, Barker develops a strong case for the development of agricultural systems in many areas as transformations in the life-ways of the indigenous forager societies, and argues that these were as much changes in social norms and ideologies as in ways of obtaining food. With a large number of helpful line drawings and photographs as well as a comprehensive bibliography, this authoritative study will appeal to a wide general readership as well as to specialists in a variety of fields.Trade Review...a masterpiece of interdisciplinary synthesis, which encompasses all parts of the world, not just well-researched areas...He puts today's all-embracing, and often popular, theories in a much more sophisticated context. This important and erudite work will surely become a classic... * Brian Fagan, European Journal of Archaeology *a magisterial survey on a global scale * Peter Bogucki, *Table of Contents1. Approaches to the origins of agriculture ; 2. Understanding foragers ; 3. Identifying foragers and farmers ; 4. The 'hearth of domestication'? Transitions to farming in South-West Asia ; 5. Central and South Asia: the wheat/rice frontier ; 6. Rice and forest farming in East and South-East Asia ; 7. Weed, tuber, and maize farming in the Americas ; 8. Africa: Afro-Asiatic pastoralists and Bantu farmers? ; 9. Transitions to farming in Europe: ex oriente lux? ; 10. The agricultural revolution in prehistory: why did foragers become farmers?

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Book SynopsisThis groundbreaking study looks beyond biblical texts, which have had a powerful influence over our views of women''s roles and worth, in order to reconstruct the typical everyday lives of women in ancient Israel. Carol Meyers argues that biblical sources alone do not give a true picture of ancient Israelite women because urban elite males wrote the vast majority of the scriptural texts and the stories of women in the Bible concern exceptional individuals rather than ordinary Israelite women. Drawing on archaeological discoveries and ethnographic information as well as biblical texts, Meyers depicts Israelite women not as submissive chattel in an oppressive patriarchy, but rather as strong and significant actors within their families and society. In so doing, she challenges the very notion of patriarchy as an appropriate designation for Israelite society.Trade ReviewThrough a thorough analysis of biblical and extra-biblical literature, Meyers uncovers the enormously meaningful roles women played and shows how their active participation within and outside the household shaped Israelite society...Meyers' revised work is rich in content, well documented, and a welcome addition to her earlier contribution on this important topic. * Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament *This is an excellent and extremely important book, to a large extent the starting point of any current and future discussion of gender issues in ancient Israel--and Carol Meyers is to be thanked for offering this important volume to students of ancient Israel in particular and the ancient world in general. * Review of Biblical Literature *Meyers breaks new ground with a fresh examination of roles of the ancient Israelite women...With numerous expansions and multiple new perspectives, even those familiar with Meyers' 1988 work will find Rediscovering Eve a welcome new monograph in the field of feminist research in biblical studies. * Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology *Carol Meyers' Discovering Eve was a milestone in feminist scholarship when it was published in 1988, bringing together disciplines that had not previously had much contact. Now, after nearly twenty-five years of further work in feminist and gender studies, archaeological and ethnographic analysis, Meyers' Rediscovering Eve provides a superb study that retrieves the material and cultural conditions of ordinary Israelite women, as well as shedding new light on how to read and understand the account of the mythic Eve. This book is essential reading for introductory courses on Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. * Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology *Meyers elegantly documents the Hebrew Bible's minimalist and misogynist views of women in ancient Israel. More importantly, she then proceeds to document this using perceptive new insights into the biblical texts; the pertinent but neglected archaeological data on household activities; and especially a considerable body of ethnographic data unfamiliar to many scholars in our respective fields. This pioneering work goes a long way toward rescuing ancient Israelite women from obscurity, ably demonstrating that they played far more significant roles than we had imagined in the domestic arena, in communal and public life, in the cult, and even in cultural and political life. This is feminist scholarship at its best--neither doctrinaire nor defensive, but simply factual, honest, incisive, bold scholarship...a landmark publication. It will change the way we view women in ancient Israel, in the church and synagogue, and in the academy. * William G. Dever, University of Arizona *Table of ContentsPreface ; Notes on Translations, Transcriptions, and Documentation ; 1. Eve and Israelite Women: Understanding the Task ; 2. Resources for the Task ; 3. Setting the Scene: The Ancient Environment ; 4. Eve in Eden: Genesis 2-3 ; 5. Eve out of Eden: Genesis 3:16 ; 6. Eve's World: The Household ; 7. Women and Household Maintenance, Part I: Economic, Reproductive, and Socio-Political Activities ; 8. Women and Household Maintenance, Part II: Religious Activities ; 9. Excursus: Professional Women ; 10. Gender and Society: Reconstructing Relationships, Rethinking Systems ; Epilogue: Beyond the Hebrew Bible ; Notes

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Book SynopsisIn this comprehensive book Michael Witzel persuasively demonstrates the prehistoric origins of most of the mythologies of Eurasia and the Americas (''Laurasia''). By comparing these myths with others indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, Melanesia, and Australia (''Gondwana Land'') Witzel is able to access some of the earliest myths told by humans. The Laurasian mythologies share a common story line that dates the world''s creation to a mythic time and recounts the fortunes of generations of deities across four or five ages and human beings'' creation and fall, culminating in the end of the universe and, occasionally, hope for a new world. These stories are contrasted with the ''southern'' mythologies, which lack most of these features. Witzel''s investigations are buttressed by archaeological data, as well as by comparative linguistics, and human population genetics. All suggest the African origins of anatomically modern humans and their subsequent journey along Indian Ocean shores, up to Australia and southern China, around 60,000 BCE. These itinerants'' early mythology survives partly in sub-Saharan Africa and points along the path - the Andaman Islands, Melansia, and Australia. Laurasian mythology, Witzel shows, developed along this vast trail, probably in southwest Asia, around 40,000 BCE. Identifying features shared by virtually all mythologies of the globe, Witzel suggests that these features probably informed myths recounted by the communities of the ''African Eve.'' As such, they are the earliest substantiation of our ultimate ancestors'' spirituality. Moreover the Laurasian myths'' key features, Witzel shows, survive today in all major religions and their multiple ideological offshoots.Trade ReviewA radical idea. * Steve Connor, The Independent *His novel approach brings a different perspective to the myths he analyzes. By all rights, this book should provoke debate and is, therefore, indispensable to any research library ... Essential. * G.J. Reece, CHOICE *Table of ContentsContents ; 1 Introduction ; 1.1 What is myth, how do we study and compare it? ; 1.2 Definition; study of myth in the past ; 1.3 Comparative mythology ; 1.4 Laurasian mythology: establishing the common origin of the mythologies of Eurasia and the Americas ; 1.5 Earlier explanations of myth ; 1.6 Ur-forms, history, and archaeology ; 1.7 Summary ; 2 Comparison and Theory ; 2.1 Theory and practice of comparisons ; 2.2 Reconstructing Laurasian mythology ; 2.2.1 Similarities ; 2.2.2 Regular correspondences and establishment of a unified narrative scheme ; 2.2.3 Oldest texts to be used ; 2.2.4 Geographically dispersed items ; 2.2.5 Reconstruction of the Laurasian common story line and individual myths ; 2.3 Enhancing the reconstruction: local, regional, macro-regional, and subcontinental variations ; 2.4 Reconstructing the Laurasian mythological system and inherent problems ; 2.5 Structure and content in some macro-areas of Laurasian myth. ; 2.5.1 Macro-areas ; 2.5.2 The Four ages in the Eurasian and Meso-American macro-areas ; 2.5.3 Later centers of innovations ; 2.5.4 Late borrowings (diffusion) ; 2.6 Some objections to the approach of historical comparative mythology ; 2.7 Conclusion ; 3 Creation Myths: The Laurasian Story Line, Our First Novel ; 3.1 Primordial Creation ; 1. Chaos and darkness 2. Water 3. Earth diver and floating earth 4. Giant 5. Bull 6. Egg 7. Combined versions ; 3.2 Father Heaven, Mother Earth ; 3.3 Separation of heaven and earth, the prop ; 3.4. Creation of land ; 3.5 The demiurge or trickster ; 3.5.1 Creation of light ; 3.5.2. The slaying of the dragon ; 3.5.3 The theft of fire and of the heavenly drink ; 3.6 Generations, Four Ages and five suns ; 3.7 The creation of humans ; 3.8 Descent of 'noble' lineages ; 3.9 The flood ; 3.10 Heroes ; 3.11 The final destruction ; 3.12 Summary ; 4 The Contributions of Other Sciences: comparison of language, physical anthropology, genetics, archaeology ; 4.1. Linguistics ; 4.2 Physical anthropology ; 4.3. Genetics ; 4.3.1 Recent advances in human population genetics ; 4.3.2 Overview of recent developments ; 4.3.3 Out of Africa ; 4.3.4 Movement northward after the last two Ice Ages ; 4.3.5 Genetics, language and mythology ; 4.3.6 Summary and outlook ; 4.4. Archaeology ; 4.4.1 Cave paintings and plastic art ; 4.4.2 Sacrifice in Late Palaeolithic art ; 4.4.3 Food production ; 4.4.4 Domestic animals and pastoralism ; 4.5 Other items of comparison: children's songs and games; ancient music and regional styles; use of colors; gestures and their regional variations. ; 4.6. Conclusions resulting from the comparison of the sciences involved ; 5 The Countercheck: Australia, Melanesia, sub-Saharan Africa ; 5.1 Possible ways to countercheck ; 5.1.1 Method ; 5.1.2 Criteria for testing the theory ; 5.1.3 Diffusion vs genetic relationship ; 5.1.4 Later additions ; 5.2 Beyond Laurasia: Gondwana mythology ; 5.3. Gondwana mythologies ; 5.3.1 Sub-Saharan Africa, the Andamans, New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania - an overview ; 5.3.2 Australia ; 5.3.2.1 Tasmania ; 5.3.3. Melanesia ; 5.3.3.1 Negritos and other southern remnant populations ; 5.3.4 Andaman Islands ; 5.3.5 Africa ; 5.3.5.1 Remnant populations: San and Pygmies ; 5.3.5.2 Sub-Saharan Africa ; 5.3.5.3 Northern influences: the western North-South highway ; 5.3.5.4 The eastern North-South Highway ; 5.3.6 Summary ; 5.4. Individual Gondwana myth types and their common characteristics ; 5.5 Secondary influences on Gondwana mythology ; 5.6. Conflicting myths in Gondwanaland ; 5.6.1 Gondwana element in Laurasian myth ; 5.6.2 Laurasian elements in Gondwana myth ; 5.7 Countercheck of Laurasian mythology based on Gondwana mythology ; 5.7.1 Essential features of Gondwana and Laurasian mythology ; 5.7.2 The flood myth in world wide perspective ; 6 First Tales: Pan-Gaean Mythology ; 6.1 Beyond Laurasia and Gondwana: common myths ; 6.2 Our first tales ; 7 Laurasian Mythology in Historical Development ; 7.1 Late Palaeolithic religion ; 7.1.1 Late Palaeolithic shamanism ; 7.1.2 Sacrifice ; 7.2. Changes from Palaeolithic to state societies ; 7.3. Dating Gondwana and Laurasian mythology ; 8 Outlook ; 8.1 The meaning of Laurasian Mythology ; 8.2 Beyond Laurasia, Gondwana and Pan-Gaia ; 8.2.1 Persistence of myth ; 8.2.2 Some reasons ; 8.3 Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThis handbook offers an invaluable and up-to-date resource on this criticial and fascinating World Hertiage siteTrade ReviewThis is the definitive guide, with over 600 pages covering the Valley's history, exploration, analysis, conservation and management. * Ancient Egypt *the essays offer a complex and comprehensive insight into the history, exploration and critical study of the Valley of the Kings * Emmet Jackson, Astene Bulletin *Table of ContentsContributors ; Abbreviations ; Preface ; Part I: Introduction ; Richard H. Wilkinson and Kent R. Weeks ; Part II: The Natural Setting ; 1. Geology of the Valley of the Kings ; Judith M. Bunbury ; 2. Toponyms of the Valley of the Kings and its Approaches ; Kent R. Weeks ; 3. The Hydrology of the Valley of the Kings: Weather, Rainfall, Drainage Patterns and Flood Protection in Antiquity ; Andreas Dorn ; Part III: The Development of the Royal Necropolis ; 4. The Egyptian Concept of a Royal Necropolis ; John H. Taylor ; 5. Earlier Royal Tombs, the Royal Cemeteries of Thebes and the Beginnings of the Valley of the Kings ; Aidan Dodson ; Part IV: Tomb Construction and Development ; 6. The Royal Necropolis Workmen of Deir el-Medina ; Robert J. Demaree ; 7. Choosing the Location for a Royal Tomb; The Workmen's Techniques and ; Tools; Units of Measurement; KV Huts and Work Places ; Andreas Dorn ; 8. The Component Parts of KV Royal Tombs ; Kent R. Weeks ; 9. Collisions, Abandonments, Alterations, Tomb Commencements/Pits and Other Features in the Valley of the Kings ; Lyla Pinch-Brock ; Part V: Royal Tomb Decoration ; 10. The Technology of Royal Tomb Decoration ; Stephen Rickerby and Lori Wong ; 11. Iconography; Palaeography; Decorative Elements; Distribution and Development of Scenes ; Heather L. McCarthy ; Part VI: Individual KV Tombs ; 12. Royal Tombs of Dynasty Eighteen ; Catharine H. Roehrig ; 13. Royal Tombs of the Nineteenth Dynasty ; Hartwig Altenmueller ; 14. Royal Tombs in Dynasty Twenty ; Aidan Dodson ; 15. Other Tombs: Queens and Commoners in KV ; Susanne Bickel ; Part VII: Contents of Royal KV Tombs ; 16. Sarcophagi ; Aidan Dodson ; 17. Canopics ; Aidan Dodson ; 18. Other Tomb Goods ; Campbell Price ; Part VIII: Getting to the Afterlife ; 19. Mortuary Ritual in the Valley of the Kings ; Alexandra von Lieven ; 20. Symbolic Aspects of Royal Tombs ; Richard H. Wilkinson ; 21. The Royal Funerary Books: The Subject Matter of Scenes and Texts ; Joshua Roberson ; Part IX: Destruction, Desecration and Reuse ; 22. Damnatio Memoriae in the Valley of the Kings ; Richard H. Wilkinson ; 23. Usurpation and Reuse of Royal Tombs ; Richard H. Wilkinson ; 24. Intrusive Burials and Caches ; John H. Taylor ; Part X: Human Remains from the KV and their Study ; 25. Early Study and the Unwrapping of Mummies ; Rosalie David ; 26. Modern Biomedical Studies ; Rosalie David and Ryan Metcalfe ; 27. Recent Identity and Relationship Studies, Including X-Rays and DNA ; Ryan Metcalfe ; Part XI: The Administration of the KV in Dynastic Times ; 28. The Temples of Millions of Years at Western Thebes ; Martina Ullmann ; 29. Policing and Site Protection; Guard Posts; Enclosure Walls ; Carola Vogel ; 30. Tomb Robberies in the Valley of the Kings ; Ogden Goelet ; Part XII: The KV from the End of the New Kingdom to the Late 20th Century ; 31. Late Dynastic, Graeco-Roman and Christian Times; Post-New Kingdom Graffiti ; Filip Coppens ; 32. The History of KV Exploration Prior to the Late 20th Century ; Joyce Tyldesley ; Part XIII: The KV in the Late 20th and the 21st Century and Beyond ; 33. Remote Sensing in the Valley of the Kings and its Hinterlands ; Sarah H. Parcak and Gregory D. Mumford ; 34. The Search for Other Tombs ; Stephen W. Cross ; 35. Tomb Recording: Epigraphy, Photography, Digital Imaging, 3-D Surveys ; Adam Lowe ; 36. Conservation and Flood Protection ; Michael Jones ; 37. Tourism in the Valley of the Kings ; Kent R. Weeks ; 38. The Valley of the Kings in the Lives of Modern Egyptians: The People of Qurna ; Kees van der Spek ; Appendix ; Index

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Book SynopsisAn Archaeological History of Indian Buddhism is a comprehensive survey of Indian Buddhism from its origins in the 6th century BCE, through its ascendance in the 1st millennium CE, and its eventual decline in mainland South Asia by the mid-2nd millennium CE. Weaving together studies of archaeological remains, architecture, iconography, inscriptions, and Buddhist historical sources, this book uncovers the quotidian concerns and practices of Buddhist monks and nuns (the sangha), and their lay adherents--concerns and practices often obscured in studies of Buddhism premised largely, if not exclusively, on Buddhist texts. At the heart of Indian Buddhism lies a persistent social contradiction between the desire for individual asceticism versus the need to maintain a coherent community of Buddhists. Before the early 1st millennium CE, the sangha relied heavily on the patronage of kings, guilds, and ordinary Buddhists to support themselves. During this period, the sangha emphasized the communalTrade Reviewprovide[s] a fascinating complement to prior understandings of the development, ascendance, and eventual decline of this major world religion in India. Lars Fogelin's clear and informative book will appeal to scholars and enthusiasts alike, and it is a prime exemplar for archaeological studies of long-term religious change. * Current World Archaeology *this book provides a useful overview of the development of Indian Buddhism from an archaeological perspective * Robin Coningham, Antiquity *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Chapter 1 - Introduction ; Chapter 2 - The Material of Religion ; Chapter 3 - From the Buddha to Ashoka: c. 600 - 200 BCE ; Chapter 4 - The Sangha and the Laity: c. 200 BCE - 200 CE ; Chapter 5 - The Beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha Images, and Monastic Isolation: c. 100 - 600 CE ; Chapter 6 - Lay Buddhism and Religious Syncretism in the First Millennium CE ; Chapter 7 - The Consolidation and Collapse of Monastic Buddhism: c. 600 - 1400 CE ; Conclusion ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisWho''s Who in the Roman World is a wide-ranging biographical survey of one of the greatest civilizations in history. Covering a period from the 5th century BC to AD 364, this is an authoritative and hugely enjoyable guide to an era which continues to fascinate today. The figures included come from all walks of Roman life and include some of history''s most famous - not to mention infamous - figures as well as hitherto little-known, but no less fascinating, characters. These include : * the notorious emperors - Caligula; Nero; Elagabalus; Commodus * the great poets, philosophers and historians - Virgil; Tacitus; Seneca; Ovid * the brilliant politicians and soldiers - Hannibal; Scipio; Caesar; Mark Antony; Constantine * noteworthy citizens - Acte, mistress of Nero; Catiline, the revolutionary; Spartacus, champion of the slaves; Gaius Verres, the corrupt governor of Sicily. The inclusion of cross-referencing, a glossary of terms, select bibliographies, maps,Trade Review'Even the briefest of initial glances at this work encourages one to go out and get the other two volumes immediately, just to have the full set. The layout is very clear, the information chosen is both enlightening and succinct.' - Eoin Patterson, JACT ReviewTable of ContentsChapter 1 A; Chapter 2 B; Chapter 3 C; Chapter 4 D; Chapter 5 E; Chapter 6 F; Chapter 7 G; Chapter 8 H; Chapter 9 I; Chapter 10 J; Chapter 11 L; Chapter 12 M; Chapter 13 N; Chapter 14 O; Chapter 15 P; Chapter 16 Q; Chapter 17 R; Chapter 18 S; Chapter 19 T; Chapter 20 U; Chapter 21 V; Chapter 22 X; Chapter 23 Z;

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Book SynopsisSean A. Adams (PhD, University of Edinburgh, UK) is a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, UK. He is the author of The Genre of Acts and Collected Biography (2013) and Commentary on Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremiah (2014).Seth M. Ehorn (PhD, University of Edinburgh, UK) is Visiting Assistant Professor of Greek Language and New Testament at Wheaton College, USA. He has published articles in the Journal for Theological Studies, Currents in Biblical Research and is a contributor to the Encyclopaedia of Biblical Reception.Trade ReviewThe authors of this volume accomplish at least two rare feats: they opened up new areas of inquiry on a neglected topic, and they have made them academically rigorous…Anyone planning to enter the fray on ancient citation practices would be advised to keep this book handy. * The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology *The new evidence presented in this volume will undoubtedly be instrumental in the study of composite citations, and for those who seek a better understanding for how ancient texts appealed to former texts. * Bulletin for Biblical Research *Perhaps the study of the phenomenon of composite citations and of the composite echo—and indeed the range of possibilities in the phenomenon of the combination of texts in the NT and its possible antecedents in antiquity—may be one of the lines of inquiry stimulated by this groundbreaking collection of essays. The editors are to be congratulated and thanked for their valuable contribution to the study of intertextuality. * Catholic Biblical Quarterly *A vast array of scholars has contributed to this study, including noted specialists in relevant areas. Their work in these texts is commendable and interacts well with the original texts. Furthermore, they helpfully analyze the literary techniques of various Second Temple authors. * The Masters Seminary Journal *One wonders how one form of citation, signaled composite citation, can be studied in isolation from implicit composite citation, unsignaled combination of scriptural elements, single citation, allusion, and so on? That seems to be the most important question raised by this volume. * Novum Testamentum *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Chapter 1: What is a Composite Citation?: An Introduction: Sean A. Adams, University of Glasgow, UK and Seth M. Ehorn, Wheaton University, USA Chapter 2: Greek Education and Composite Citations of Homer: Sean A. Adams, University of Edinburgh, UK Chapter 3: Composite Citations in Plutarch: Seth M. Ehorn, Wheaton University, USA Chapter 4: Citation in Elite Roman Epistolary Writing: The Letters of Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny: Margaret H. Williams, University of Edinburgh, UK Chapter 5: Composite Citations in Philo of Alexandria: James R. Royse, Claremont School of Theology, USA Chapter 6: Composite Citations in the Damascus Document: Jonathan D. H. Norton, Heythrop College, UK Chapter 7: Composite Citations in the Septuagint Apocrypha: Sean A. Adams and Seth M. Ehorn Chapter 8: Composite Citations in Jewish Pseudepigraphic Works: Re-presenting Legal Traditions in the Second Temple Period: Garrick V. Allen, Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal, Germany Chapter 9: Composite Features and Citations in Justin Martyr’s Textual Composition: Philippe Bobichon, Institut de Recherche et d’Histoire des Textes, France Chapter 10: The Testimonia Hypothesis and Composite Citations: Martin C. Albl, Presentation College, USA Chapter 11: Composite Citations: Retrospect and Prospect: Christopher D. Stanley, St. Bonaventure University, USA Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIan Shaw is Professor of Archaeology, University of Chester, UK. His books include Egyptology: A Very Short Introduction (2004) and Hatnub: Quarrying Travertine in Ancient Egypt (2008).Trade ReviewThis is a readable and thought-provoking volume from which students and professional Egyptologists will benefit. The use of theory is welcome, but the main impact of the book is its continuation of the theme of establishing an "Egyptological" theory of materials and technology. -- Paul T. Nicholson, Cardiff University, UK * The Historian *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements List of illustrations Chronology Introduction: towards an explicitly anthropological analysis of technological change and innovation in ancient Egypt Analysing Egyptian Technological Dynamics - was Egyptian technology underpinned and framed by 'science'? Writing: human communication as social technology Medicine, Magic and Pharmacy: the fusion of science and religion Stone-working: the synthesis of traditional chaînes opératoires and ideological innovations Mummification and Glass-working: issues of definition and process Chariot Production: technical choice and socio-political change Military Hardware: the east Mediterranean knowledge economy and the emergence of the Iron Age in Egypt Technology Embedded in Urban Society: finding the individual in the general Conclusion Appendix 1: Measuring space Appendix 2: Measuring time Appendix 3: Astronomy and astrology Abbreviations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRoberta Tomber is Visiting Fellow in the Department of Conservation, Documentation and Science at the British Museum. She specialises in Roman and Indian Ocean pottery and is co-author of The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (1998). She was awarded the Antiquity 2007 prize forher article Rome and Mesopotamia importers into India in the first millennium AD'.

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Book SynopsisStephen Quirke is Curator of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and Professor of Egyptian Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, University College London.Trade ReviewHidden Hands provokes much thought for the future of archaeology. * TLS *‘From any point of view, this book is a detailed and fascinating insight into the Petrie Museum archives, and the social context of Petrie's excavations.' * Egyptian Archaeology *‘This is a densely-argued text, which will prove a source for future investigation, not only by archaeologists, but also by students of social history.' * Ancient Egypt *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Setting a Stage 2. Labour and name in the Petrie publications 3. Names in the Petrie Journals 4. Acts of excision: anonymity in the Petrie Journals 5. The Petrie Notebooks: individual issues 6. Discovery names and object biographies: individual features and finds 7. Find-group records with finder names 8. Notebook base: name-lists 9. Faces and names: the photographs 10. Parallel lives in the archaeology of Egypt Biography List of illustrations and sources Index

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