Archaeology by period / region Books

Book SynopsisThis volume will fill the demand for a general introduction to the archaeology of Jordan. It covers the full range of archaeology in Jordan from the Palaeolithic through to the end of the Ottoman period. The volume contains 15 chapters as chronological summaries of these principal archaeological periods, as well as an introductory chapter by the volume editor. The primary intent of this volume, which is a shortened and updated version of The Archaeology of Jordan published by Sheffield Academic Press in 2001, is to provide an introductory textbook for students of archaeology in general and Levantine and Near Eastern Archaeology in particular as well as a companion volume for interested amateurs and tourists.Table of Contents1. Archaeology in Jordan: A Brief History (Russell Adams)2. Evolving Landscape and Environment in Jordan (Phillip G. Macumber)3. The Paleolithic Period, Including the Epipalaeolithic (Deborah Olszwewski, University of Pennsylvania)4. The Neolithic Period (Gary Rollefson, Whitman College)5. The Chalcolithic Period (Stephen Bourke, University of Sydney)6. The Early Bronze Age I-III (Graham Philip, Durham University)7. The Early Bronze Age IV (Gaetano Palumbo, World Monuments Fund)8. The Middle Bronze Age (Steven Falconer, Arizona State University)9. The Late Bronze Age (John Strange, University of Copenhagen)10. The Iron Age (Larry Herr, Canadian University College, and Mohammed Najjar)11 The Persian Period (Piotr Bienkowski, University of Manchester)12. The Hellenistic Period and the Nabataeans (Stephen Schmid, University of Montpellier)13 The Roman Period (Philip Freeman, University of Liverpool)14 The Byzantine Period (Pamela Watson, University of New England)15. The Umayyad and Abbasid Periods (Donald Whitcomb, The Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)16. The Middle Islamic and Crusader Periods (Alan Walmsley, University of Copenhagen)17. The Ottoman Period (Alison McQuitty)

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Book SynopsisInitially coined by art historians in the second half of the nineteenth century to denote an ambivalent artistic style and period, 'Orientalizing' has been invariably used to describe a phenomenon, a revolution, or a movement. Regional developments and innovations in the ancient Mediterranean have been explained by reference to an Orient, the metaphorical bazaar containing the artistic opulence and social sophistication that spread to the West and changed it. "Debating Orientalization" brings together papers presented at a symposium held in Oxford in 2002 to debate the theme of ancient Orientalization. The volume reassesses the concept of Orientalizing, questioning whether it is valid to interpret Mediterranean-wide processes of change in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages by the term Orientalization. Like the ancient Mediterranean itself, the list of contributors is multicultural, and their contributions multidisciplinary, combining various strands of archaeological and textual evidence with different methodological approaches.Trade Review'I highly recommend essays by Purcell, Wengrow, and Osborne, especially for those concerned with issues of cultural transformation and exchange. I also enjoyed the essays of Morris and van Dommelen. Gubel's essay caused me to reflect on how the cultures of Canaan/Israel might have contributed to and been shaped by these processes of Mediterranean interconnectivity and what impact that might have had on the religious world/s that subsequently produced the biblical and para-biblical texts.' Michael Carden, University of Queensland, The Bible and Critical Theory, Volume 4, Number 2, 2008Table of Contents1. Introduction Corinna Riva and Nicholas Vella 2. Orientalizing: Five Historical Questions Nicholas Purcell (St Johns College. Oxford University) 3. Approaching Ancient Orientalization via Modern Europe David Wengrow (Christ Church, Oxford University) 4. Orientalization and Prehistoric Cyprus: The Social Life of Oriental Goods A. Bernard Knapp (University of Glasgow) 5. The View from East Greece: Miletus, Samos and Ephesus Sarah P. Morris (UCLA) 6. Notes on the Phoenician Component of the Orientalizing Horizon Eric Gubel (University of Brussels) 7. On the Organization of the Phoenician Colonial System in Iberia Maria Eugenia Aubet (Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona) 8. The Orientalizing Period in Etruria: Sophisticated Communities Corinna Riva 9. The Orientalizing Phenomenon: Hybridity and Material Culture in the Western Mediterranean Peter van Dommelen (University of Glasgow) 10. W(h)iter Orientalization Robin Osborne (Cambridge University)

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Book SynopsisArchaeology has progressed enormously since the early excavations of classical sites such as Olympia and Ephesus in the middle of the 19th century. A better perspective on the material culture of the Classical world is now given by new methods and modern techniques, which depend on the rigorous application of skills from a wide range of disciplines. This book, written by a group of active field archaeologists, is designed particularly for students at A-level and on university courses, as well as for those with a general interest in the ancient world. It demonstrates the progression of a project from planning and prospection, through excavation and study to interpretation and public presentation. It also provides links to a wide range of internet resources to enable students to follow through case studies of recent survey and excavation ranging in time from the Bronze Age to the early Byzantine, and in extent from Britain to Turkey.

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Book SynopsisThis impressive work of scholarship brings together anthropology, religion, popular culture, and history in its focus on Bakhtiari lion tombstones that have remained largely unknown and hence little studied. Although lions have long figured in Iranian history, art and myth as symbols of rulership, power, religious leadership or as steadfast guardians, art historians have tended to concentrate their attentions on court traditions and the role of lions in popular culture, especially in religion, has remained little considered until this book. Funerary stone lions are to be found throughout western Iran, but are concentrated in the summer and winter pasture areas of the Bakhtiari, today's provinces of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, west of Isfahan, and Khuzistan. This highly illustrated colour volume draws on meticulous fieldwork and includes over three hundred photographs, drawings, charts and maps. The recording of this rare sculptural heritage, dating from the 16th century to the early 20th century, has become ever more pressing as some tombstones have been taken from their original settings and re-erected in parks, others damaged by the elements and some recently broken up to be used in road repairs. 'Pedram Khosronejad's Lion Tombstones among Bakhtiari Pastoral Nomads in South West Iran is to be greatly welcomed...[It is ]based on extensive fieldwork and represents something of a rescue project...This volume, however, goes further in raising three inter-related issues: why have these important artifacts been neglected even by specialists; how do they relate to a richer understanding of Iranian art and culture; and how does vernacular art relate to the accepted traditions of Iranian art?...This volume will prove to be important in bringing the lion tombstones to a larger public attention.' G. R. Garthwaite, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Jane and Raphael Bernstein Professor in Asian Studies, Emeritus & Professor of History, Emeritus

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Book SynopsisThe village of Stanton Drew in north Somerset is host to a remarkable group of ancient monuments which together comprise the third largest collection of standing stones in England. Its Great Circle, the largest of three stone circles, exceeds the dimensions of Stonehenge. Recent archaeology has revealed that a substantial woodhenge once occupied the site, underlining its importance as a major ritual centre of the Neolithic age. Gordon Strong, a regular lecturer on the subject, has spent many years exploring this fascinating site on multiple levels. In this well illustrated book he presents archaeological detail, local folklore and the views of various commentators from 18th century antiquarians to dowsers, discussing mythology, mediumship and earth energies. His insights are gleaned from his long love-affair with the site, and offer the visitor some clues for making their own inner connection to this unique monument which still retains its ancient magic.

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Book SynopsisDaniel Albero Santacreu presents a wide overview of certain aspects of the pottery analysis and summarizes most of the methodological and theoretical information currently applied in archaeology in order to develop wide and deep analysis of ceramic pastes. The book provides an adequate framework for understanding the way pottery production is organised and clarifies the meaning and role of the pottery in archaeological and traditional societies. The goal of this book is to encourage reflection, especially by those researchers who face the analysis of ceramics for the first time, by providing a background for the generation of their own research and to formulate their own questions depending on their concerns and interests. The three-part structure of the book allows readers to move easily from the analysis of the reality and ceramic material culture to the world of the ideas and theories and to develop a dialogue between data and their interpretation. Daniel Albero Santacreu is a Lecturer Assistant in the University of the Balearic Islands, member of the Research Group Arqueo UIB and the Ceramic Petrology Group. He has carried out the analysis of ceramics from several prehistoric societies placed in the Western Mediterranean, as well as the study of handmade pottery from contemporary ethnic groups in Northeast Ghana.

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Trade Review'The book is a remarkable achievement and represents a milestone in Zoroastrian studies.' G. Morrison, Society for Old Testament Study Booklist, 1983. '...sicherlich für viele Jahre das Standardwerk für die Geschichte des Zoroastrismus...' Klaus Schippmann, Bibliotheca Orientalis, 1983.

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