Book Description

In recent years archaeologists and paleontologists have become increasingly interested in how and why vertebrate animal remains become, or do not become, fossils. Vertebrate Taphonomy introduces interested researchers to the wealth of analytical techniques developed by archaeologists and paleontologists to help them understand why prehistoric animal remains do or do not preserve, and why those that preserve appear the way they do.This book is comprehensive in scope, and will serve as an important work of reference for years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must have for any archaeologist.
A long, technical, and amazing compilation of what every zooarchaeologist should know. Not for the beginner. ... Read more

Book Description

This massive treasure-house of information is the ultimate A-to-Z reference work on all aspects of archaeology, from prehistory to the present day. Entries, written by the most authoritative scholars from around the world, spotlight archaeological pioneers and practitioners, heroes and villains ... discoveries and debates ... concepts and techniques...periods and regions ... organizations and museums. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

On stop reference source for a world wide glimpse of subject
I had already seen the first associated encyclopedic set, The Great Archaeologists. This particular three volume addition is just as impressive. I would like to compliment Tim Murray for the overall quality for all of the main encyclopedic entries, not an easy task when there are so many contributors. This would be a fine reference source for anyone who wants a definitive, world wide glimpse of the varied field and history of archaeology. A cumulative table of contents in the front of each volume provides us with the complete listing of the main alphabetical entries. Signed entries (the list of contributors forming part of the appendices in the last volume) include appropriate see also references and bibliographic references for further research. A well done powerful reference tool is the index, one of the best that I have seen. Page numbers in bold face type show that the subject has its place in the main encyclopedic presentation. The editor took special care to indicate if the subject reference is a photograph or illustration. Consider this as an essential, first stop reference tool to ground you in a wide variety of related world-wide archaeological subjects. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1911, a young historian set out on a quest that would later be regarded as one of the most important expeditions in the history of the National Geographic Society. With breathless enthusiasm and an unquenchable thirst for adventure, Hiram Bingham followed rumor after rumor in search of a lost city, through unspoiled mountain villages and the treacherous Peruvian highlands. An experienced traveler, Bingham thought nothing of riding mules along nearly inaccessible mountain paths and scaling steep mountainsides. But nothing could have prepared him for the moment when, after crossing a rope bridge suspended 2,000 feet above a raging river and climbing a harrowing precipice, he came upon stone-faced terraces climbing up a hillside, leading to a plaza with two temples. "The sight held me spellbound," declared Bingham at the sight of the once great city. He had found Machu Picchu.

Bingham’s astonishing tale includes observations of ancient traditions and architecture as seen through the eyes of a young man fascinated by the archaeology, landscape, and history of Peru—a land and a people now lost in time. The incredible story of an amazing adventure, Inca Land is a thrilling chronicle of a legendary explorer’s crowning discovery. ... Read more

Book Description

In this enchanting meditation on ruins, Christopher Woodward takes us on a thousand-year journey from the plains of Troy to the monuments of ancient Rome, from the crumbling palaces of Sicily, Cuba, and Zanzibar to the rubble of the London Blitz. With an exquisite sense of romantic melancholy, we encounter the teenage Byron in the moldering Newstead Abbey, Flaubert watching the buzzards on the pyramids, Henry James in the Colosseum, and Freud at Pompeii. We travel the Appian Way with Dickens and behold the Baths of Caracalla with Shelley. An exhilarating tour, at once elegant and stimulating, In Ruins casts an exalting spell as it explores the bewitching power of architectural remains and their persistent hold on the imagination. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the long awaited and substantially revised edition of Burl's first and highly acclaimed book for Yale, The Stone Circles of the British Isles,( 1976 cloth sales 8400, pb 1979 30* sales 10,000.)It comprises a complete and detailed overview of the prehistoric stone circles of Britain and Ireland and also, for the first time, their French counterparts, the cromlechs of Brittany.Taking into account the crucial research and discoveries which have taken place over the last twenty years, Burl reassesses amongst others the haunting circle at Callanish in Scotland as well as the world-famous Stonehenge, calling into question its dates, phases, astronomy, builders and above all its purpose. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fine Scholarship, Fine Writing
I am not accustomed to purchasing so expensive and specialized a book, but in the early autumn of 1979, I had the privilege of working on a Scottish dig run by Dr. Burl, and I have long admired his scholarship and dedication---and this revision is, simply put, GREAT! The depth of information is astounding, and I found the the presentation engrossing, the subject fascinating, and the style quite readable---certainly NOT only for students or devotees of archaeology. I can't recommend this one highly enough---it may seem like something of an indulgence for your personal library, but it's worth every penny. Alas, the book is far to heavy to carry about in one's luggage, but I've already marked at least two dozen sites that I want to visit the next time I cross the Atlantic. In the meantime, settle back in a comfortable chair and get ready to cast your mind back a couple of millenia...

The BEST learning/referance peice I have....thats about it
This is truly by nature a great reference book. This 400 pager is most certainly not a light read. It is the kind of book that should accompany the libuary of a person whom needs a truly great source material peice, and point of complete infomation. This book is full of references to sites and works of other peoples and times. In his true old fasion and nature, Dr. Burl make many comments, not only on current data and modern ideas, but also speaks and illustrates alot of past records of the 17 and 18 hundreds. However, this is in no way a book on the history of studies, but realy is a truly up to date compilation of material, material that stretches far and wide into many disciplines. This book should though be aprouched by one that does already know and understand a little (if not a great deal) on stone circles. A great addition of the 'Die hard', but the new people may get a bit lost. For the writter likes to wander just a little, and makes asumpsions that the reader knows just what site he is talking about and in what era of neolithic/bronze age is in question. This book is realy for the people whom want to realy expand their material in this field. I would say "expand their knowladge", but this not only greatly does so, but also offers the access to the masses of referance and source notes that one could follow up on ones self.

However, The reason that I give this a 4 star, and not a 5, is that there are 'some' problems with it, which do not 'quite' make it PERFECT. Because of the masses of refering that Dr.Burl makes to all his material, the trend and flow of the text makes this at times an un-smooth read. (if there was such a word) Because this book is structured by area, and not by era, (which is probebly the easiest way to understand the Archaeology of stone circles). What would be a great help, is drawings, Archaeo plans, or some form of diagrams of the shapes he trys to discribe. Plan illistrations of the stone circles would help a great deal in relaying the infomation as intended. not here folks. I think that it is best to use this as a referance book, and not as a smooth read. This in fact is a very positive and greatly admired notion, one that I like in this book. Another great problem is one of punctuation. I know that my spelling is problematic, but the continues lack of a comma in this work often makes it VERY difficalt to understand what the exact message is, if one was trying to read with a smooth flow, and so I at times might need to spend a long time on just one page. I have realy liked reading this book, and leared a hell of alot from its text that does in fact go very well. Just be warned that a most perfect knowladge of local name places of every corner of britain is needed to follow him, and therefore, quite a bit of wandering and un-needed refering sometimes clouds over the general message. However, I do realy love this book. I think it is a most exelent 'back-bone' to one's serious study of this subject. Most deffinetly a must for the 'heavies' amongest us, a little warning to the un-propeared and the 'just learning'. A most complete, in all ways, standed and top notch peice of material. I feal that it is prehaps the collection pot of the cream of his life work. It certainly is my favorate on my shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Fierce warriors and skilled craftsmen, the Celts were famous throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, the archetypal barbarians from the north, feared by both Greeks and Romans. And though this ancient thousand-year-old civilization was crushed by the military campaigns of Julius Caesar, the Celts remain an object of fascination to this day. Now, in The Ancient Celts, Barry Cunliffe, one of the world's leading authorities on European prehistory, explores the true nature of the Celtic identity and presents the first thorough and up-to-date account of a people whose origins still provoke heated debate.

Drawing on a wealth of recent archaeological findings, Cunliffe reveals how this loose band of nomads evolved from migratory barbarians into adroit traders and artists, inhabiting virtually every corner of Europe north of the Po. Beginning in the Hungarian plains of 1300 B.C., where the first hints of Celtic culture can be traced, the book shows how this fierce people slowly grew into one of Europes most feared powers, constantly raiding and threatening the empires of both Greece and the Rome. Cunliffe demonstrates how the unprecedented Celtic diaspora gave way to the development of a number of mature, urban societies scattered throughout the continent. The book pays ample tribute to Celtic economic prowess, revealing how the civilization shrewdly took advantage of Europes tin, cooper, and gold resources to become both a respected trading partner with Rome and a nation of skilled artisans who forged some of the greatest weaponry of pre-antiquity. The book also describes the Celtss pantheistic religious traditions, with detailed accounts of weapon burials, human sacrifices, and the meditative powers of the Druids, and it concludes with a look at the influences of the Celtic mystique on the modern world, revealing how the concept of the Celt has been used many times by nations in search for an identity.

From the Victorians glorification of Boudicca, to linguistic influences in Ireland and Britain, to the common bond of Celtic ancestry that virtually every European shares, this comprehensive history demystifies the world of the Celts as never before. A fascinating history blending insightful narrative with vivid detail, and boasting over 200 illustrations--including 24 color plates--and 30 maps, The Ancient Celts is an indispensable guide to this age-old, intriguing culture. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The treasures of a lost society
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Very Detailed and Informative
Let me start by saying I am nowhere near an expert on this subject. I read this book because I wanted to learn more about the Celts. Although I found this book to be a bit academic for my liking it was obviously scrupulously researched. My biggest complaint was the use of archaic names for ancient geographical locations without providing an approximate modern reference point; the same holds true for the mention of many long extinct cultural groups. The numerous maps which were included did not to my mind provide much clarification, plus they were all clustered together at the end of the book which made it cumbersome to keep flipping back and forth. Perhaps it was the author's intent to target a more scholarly audience which would explain my frustration with the content; hence, the 4 stars.

A solid introductory work
I have grown to appreciate this book over the past five years. Although I do not use it myself much anymore, I do assign it to my Archaeology 1 tutorial students. It's an easier read than 'The European Iron Age' (John Collis), and I prefer the layout and illlustrations of 'The Ancient Celts' to 'Exploring the World of the Celts' (Simon James).

I would very much recommend this as a first text for those who are interested in the archaeology of the Celts. It's very well-written, and the illustrations are highly evocative.

However, as with any single-author account covering such a wide geographic area over such a span of time, there are disagreements over some aspects of Cunliffe's interpretations. Because of this, I would suggest that 'The Ancient Celts' is probably best read in conjuntion with either of the two books mentioned above.

Old-fashioned and uninteresting
Cunlife's work, though a good introduction to the Celts, is elementary and old-fashioned. He doesn't address the real issues in Celtic archaeology. I would recommend 'The Celtic World,' with its variety of authors and subjects, as a much better synthesis of modern archaeology for the serious student.

Best book on the subject in the last decade
Cunliffe finds a solid ground between Iron Age archaeologists (many of whom are questioning the validity of the whole idea of a "Celtic" culture) and linguists and literary scholars (who can't help but see connections beyond the scope of coincidence between medieval, Insular texts and Iron Age, continental material remains). He both shows the complexity of the European Iron Age cultures and advances convincing hypotheses for similarity *and* variation among them, over space and over time. Anyone who is interested in the reality of the Celtic world should read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The great public square known as the Agora was the living heart of ancient Athens, where citizens met formally to administer civic affairs, and informally to trade or discuss politics or to take part in religious processions and athletic displays. In the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., the Agora was the scene of some of the finest political, philosophical, and artistic achievements in the first flowering of Western civilization. John M. Camp brings together the results of sixty years' work by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Drawing on the wealth of excavated evidence, richly supplemented by literary and inscriptional references, Professor Camp tells the story of the Agora from Neolithic to medieval times. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Magnificent Overview of the Heart of Classical Athens
Just as much as the Acropolis was the religious center of ancient Athens, the Agora was its commercial, governmental, and cultural heart. Camp and Renfrew's book finally gives this crucial site the attention and analysis it deserves.

The authors draw on the results of over a half-century of archaeological investigation to relate 1500 years of the city's history. From Athens' rise from obscurity in the days of Homer to its flowering as a military/cultural powerhouse in the 5th century, to the Hellenistic Age and the days of the Roman Empire, to the city's slow decline to the status of Byzantine backwater, this book reveals the evolution of the Agora in hundreds of color and black-and-white illustrations which truly breathe life into the ancient stones and the people who knew them.

The illustrations are sumptuous, and are the true centerpiece of the book. Scores of photographs illustrate the surviving walls and foundations of the Agora's buildings, and careful, clearly-rendered site plans and architectural elevations enable the reader to readily relate disparate elements of the structures and artifacts to their historical and cultural contexts. Accompanying the illustrations is a clear and lucid text which explains the history and the society that the Agora reflected and served.

I heartily recommend this book to those interested in archaeology, classical Greece, the Roman Empire, and urban planning. Echoing Peter Green's review, it's difficult to conceive that this book could have been done any better, and it is unlikely to be superseded for the foreseeable future. ... Read more

Book Description

Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, has been called the Stonehenge of North America. Its spectacular pueblos, or great houses, are world famous and have attracted the attention of archaeologists for more than a century.Beautifully illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, Chaco Canyon draws on the very latest research on Chaco and its environs to tell the remarkable story of the people of the canyon, from foraging bands and humble farmers to the elaborate society that flourished between the tenth and twelfth centuries A.D. Brian Fagan is a master story teller, and he weaves the latest discoveries into a compelling narrative of people living in a harsh, unpredictable environment. Indeed, this is not a story about artifacts and dusty digs, but a riveting narrative of people in the distant past, going about their daily business, living and dying, loving, raising children, living in plenty and in hunger, pondering the cosmos, and facing the unpredictable challenges of the environment. Drawing on rare access to the records of the Chaco Synthesis Project, Fagan reveals a society where agriculture and religion went hand-in-hand, where the ritual power of Chaco's leaders drew pilgrims from distant communities bearing gifts. He describes the lavish burials in the heart of Pueblo Bonito, which offer clues about the identity of Chaco's shadowy leaders. And he explores the enduring mystery of Chaco's sudden decline in the face of savage drought and shows how its legacy survives into modern times.Here then is the first authoritative account of the Chaco people written for a general audience, lending a fascinating human face to one of America's most famous archaeological sites. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Facts and Charm
Young people will be delighted in addition to being informed.And even adults will be charmed by the personal history of Gwinn Vivian, who grew up in glorious, mysterious Chaco Canyon and became the "living history"reporter on this amazing place.We are so lucky to have this book to enlightened our minds and our hearts.

Facts and Charm
Young people will be delighted in addition to being informed. And even adults will be charmed by the personal history of Gwinn Vivian, who grew up in glorious, mysterious Chaco Canyon and became the "living history" reporter on this amazing place. We are so lucky to have this book to enlighten our minds and our hearts. ... Read more

Book Description

An introduction to the study of biological, osteological, and botanical remains on archaeological sites. ... Read more

Book Description

What can we know of the tomb, its original form and the date of the rock-cut chamber at the heart of the present Edicule, and of the successive structures which have enclosed the tomb? Using written documents, the visual materials available, and the evidence of the present 1809-10 structure and what it can tell us about its predecessors, this book attempts to answer these questions and to establish the authenticity of the rock itself.

The rock-cut tomb lies in a structure known as the Edicule, itself inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the heart of Jerusalem. For more than ten years, Martin Biddle worked on the archaeological investigation of the tomb, the first since 1849. Precise recording in three dimensions, using photogrammary linked to a detailed descriptive database, enabled the structure of the tomb to be revealed as never before. After a brief description of the archaeological investigation, the book examines the evidence of the changing nature of the Edicule through its visual representations, dating from the fifth century onwards - ivory carvings, models in diverse materials, pilgrim flasks of silver and glass, rings, mosaics, censers and manuscript drawings. Written, and sometimes conflicting, sources in the Gospels and elsewhere for the siting of the tomb are then discussed. The heart of the book reviews the history of the tomb over the centuries in the light of these new discoveries, from the original construction of the Edicule by Constantine up to modern times. ... Read more

Book Description

"Well written and cogently argued, this book will appeal to . . . scholars of complex societies worldwide." --Helaine Silverman, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe Islands of the Sun and the Moon in Bolivia's Lake Titicaca were two of the most sacred locations in the Inca empire. A pan-Andean belief held that they marked the origin place of the Sun and the Moon, and pilgrims from across the Inca realm made ritual journeys to the sacred shrines there. In this book, Brian Bauer and Charles Stanish explore the extent to which this use of the islands as a pilgrimage center during Inca times was founded on and developed from earlier religious traditions of the Lake Titicaca region.Drawing on a systematic archaeological survey and test excavations in the islands, as well as data from historical texts and ethnography, the authors document a succession of complex polities in the islands from 2000 BC to the time of European contact in the 1530s AD. They uncover significant evidence of pre-Inca ritual use of the islands, which raises the compelling possibility that the religious significance of the islands is of great antiquity. The authors also use these data to address broader anthropological questions on the role of pilgrimage centers in the development of pre-modern states. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A neglected aspect of Andean Culture
This illuminating, well-researched book provides a look at a very important but neglected aspect of pre-Columbian Andean history. The re-tracing of ritual and pilgrimage in ancient times brings the reader into contact, with solid scientific basis, with native Andean spirituality, and gives essential insights into the rich and holistic Pre-Columbian Andean American Cosmo-vision. It also brings the Island of the Moon and its ancient sacred role out of undeserved obscurity.

islands of the Sun and Moon
This work is an excellent combination of archaeology and ethnohistory. The islands of the Sun and Moon in Lake Titicaca were two of the most important ritual pilgrimage sites in the Inca empire. Until now, our understanding of Inca religion has been hindered by the lack of a comprehensive study of these mysterious sacred islands. Bauer and Stanish present information from an extensive survey of the islands of the Sun and the Moon in a clear and persuasive manner. They then combine their survey results with what is known about these islands from historical sources to describe the activities of pilgrims and priests at these shrines. Anyone interested in Inca religion and politics will find this book invaluable. ... Read more

Book Description

This brief but comprehensive book tells the story of how archaeology changed from a romantic adventure into a science. Its vivid narrative combines tales of archaeological discovery with the changing social conditions and theoretical perspectives that helped turn archaeology into a sophisticated discipline. Containing a simple, jargon-free style—and a lifetime of teaching experience—this writer shares with readers his unrivaled experience as an archeologist and an author.Unique coverage includes both major discoveries, and significant, theoretical and methodological developments of the history of archaeology—from a global perspective.For anyone interested in an interpretation of our archeological past that will yield an understanding of today—its beginnings, and the ideas that nurtured it. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a thorough revision of the successful Second Edition and includes both Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. It covers the period from the European settling of the New World to the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521, as well as the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs that reveal dynastic history, and recent discoveries and excavations at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, Caracol in Belize, and Mexico.
The Third Edition of this successful introduction to the archaeology of Mesoamerica includes full coverage of the Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. Beginning with the settling of the New World and continuing through the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica in 1521, this completely updated textbook contains information on decipherment of the Maya hieroglyphs, excavation in Belize and Honduras as well as in Guatemala. News from Mexico, including the west, refocuses ideas on writing, murals, architecture, and the Olmec. The latest information on new approaches, theories, sites, and areas of investigation. This information reflects the work of a new generation of researchers whose recent discoveries have shed additional light on many of the ideas that have shaped the last fifty years of Mesoamerican archaeology.
Includes deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs, the dynamic history of the Maya, the new royal tomb excavated at Copan, Honduras, important new discoveries at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, and Caracol in Belize, ritual sacrifices on a massive scale revealed at Teotihuacan in central Mexico, new material from Tula (Toltec capitol) and from the heart of Mexico City.

Key Features
* All-in-one textbook covering the Aztecs (central Mexico) and the Maya (Yucatan and Central America) in one volume
* Spans the period from the settling of the New World until the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521
* Shows the growth and collapse of the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec empires
* Includes a chapter on Mesoamerica's relationship to the northeast (southeastern United States) and to the Andean region of South America
* Illustrates the importance of trade, domestication of plants, and the rise of urbanism in relation to other cultures in the New World ... Read more

Book Description

The Northwestern Plains is developing a unique and viable archeology, offering students choosing their future research topics in this exciting time a variety of possibilities. The entire area of the Northwestern Plains--mountains, foothills, and plains--has been a testing ground for human ingenuity. It provides an unusual opportunity to study more than 11,000 years of prehistroic hunting and gathering. Prehistoric Hunters of the High Plains synthesizes what was a disparate body of data on the prehistory of the Northwestern Plains and presents it in rational and understandable terms.

Key Features
* Examines the prehistoric cultural chronology and the sources of the data for the Northwestern High Plains
* Presents prehistoric hunting and gathering subsistence strategies for the Northwestern High Plains
* Takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of archaeology using the data from geology, soils, faunal analysis, pollen, and phytolith studies
* Provides a methodology for data recovery ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Archaeology Student-University of Montana
Not much needs to be said----Its the Bible of plains archaeology ... Read more

Book Description

In this definitive book, prominent archaeologist John M. Camp presents an up-to-date survey of the monuments of ancient Athens and Attica to create a complete archaeological tour of the area. Camp's lavishly illustrated work will appeal not only to scholars and students of Greek civilization but also to visitors exploring the ancient sites. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Talkin' Rocks
This book is not technical and well worth reading. It's easy going and most will polish it off in no time. The early chapters deal with the geological dating of the Sphinx. His critiques of some of the other writers about the Sphinx and the other monuments of Giza are cogent and not condescending, which reveals his good character as well as his intelligence. Schoch highlights the difficulty or impossibility of explaining the onset of the ice ages (for example) using uniform principles, and discusses interesting and scientific catastrophic alternatives, all the while remaining philosophically uniformitarian. His citation of Mary Settegast's "Plato Prehistorian" led to my reading that book.

Very Disappointing.
If you saw this guy on Discovery or The History Channel, you probably won't find much of interest in this book. The amount of space devoted to the Sphinx and Yonaguni Monument is almost an afterthought. And sadly, this is the only original work in the entire book.

Most of this book deals with uniformitarianism (gradual change) and catastrophism (rapid change) in geology, evolution, and human history. The author's main credibility in presenting this evidence is that he is a dispassionate scientist that went to Yale and you are not. In creating a dispassionate work, Schoch has only managed to write a book that is very boring.

Nearly half the book is simply looking at various theories to explain impacts with space rocks. So we're treated to rocks of varying densities and speed impacting at various angles sometimes on land and sometimes on water and sometimes both. These rocks are used to explain everything from the Ice Age to Polynesian emigration to Genghis Khan leaving Mongolia to conquer the world.

In the end, there is still little science here and a lot of conjecture. Schoch clings ferociously to some "facts" and theories while tossing others aside because they weren't advanced by the right discipline. In the end, I realize that Carl Sagan did all this earlier and much better.

Don't buy this waste of paper
Well I got SUCKERED, what a grandly misleading title. Seeking hard science arguments from a reputed ph.D further explaining the anomities of the geological record, as the title suggests, I was greatly disappointed with the lack of story or revelations as claimed, and the petty partual inclusions of airy-fairy wish wash "Hype" themes. Lord behold, I was worried when I read the dubious praises on the rear cover by the renown cranks Hancock, West, and Bauval.

Nothing at all new, the only compelling area covers little more than the intial pages where the dating of the Sphinx
is detailed. The book then slips into crank theories where the author hovers around the sides like a timid scum-sucking iliterate fearful to be judged to be of any persuasion or belief. Everything from Atlantis in Antartica to Hapgood's maps are rehashed revealing zip.

NOTHING new, BIG disappointment, much grandstanding with a hint of "just trying to fill a book". Any beneficial data could easily have been published in a single article, and has been.

A author I would never purchase again.

The Sphinx got wet once; does that make it older?
Dr Schoch shows that the Sphinx shows water erosion marks. The last time it rained a lot in Egypt was tens of thousands of years before 4500 BC (the standard built-by date). So, Dr Schoch thinks the Sphinx was really built tens of thousands of years earlier.
Hiroshima shows higher background radiation than most Japanese cities. That's not because Hiroshima was built earlier.
Was the Sphinx built earlier? Did nasty canal-builders wash its builders and their works away?

A book with view (point) ... - Interdisciplinary treat!
This was a book I read a few years ago, but re-read recently. Its a book by an archeologist. And it aims to show how one reads history through the glasses of an archeologist.

One gets some pretty good insights into the study of archeology, the tools the subject uses and how inferences are drawn. The book takes some known facts and uses them to extrapolate in very good ways, drawing from other disciplines to construct new viewpoints of the past and our history.

Its pretty elementary in its approach and simple, so in case you're one of the more serious heavy seekers of information, this is not for you. But if you're looking for alternate viewpoints from disciplines you have not much information about, then this is definitely a good place to begin. ... Read more

Book Description

This book considers traditional assumptions about the nature of social relationships in Greek households during the Classical and Hellenistic periods, which draws on archaeological evidence from individual houses rather than textual sources. The focus of the study is the domestic organization of households, particularly the relationships between men and women within the households, between household members and outsiders, and with the wider social structures of the polis or city state, and how these changed with time. ... Read more

Book Description

The first continuous national history of any western people in their own language, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle traces the history of early England from the migration of the Saxon war-lords, through Roman Britain, the onslaught of the Vikings, the Norman Conquest and on through the reign of Stephen.

Reviews (3)

Ian Myles Slater on: A Great Replacement
"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" is the collective name for a whole set of chronicles, originally scattered across England. Arranged mainly year-by-year, they contain contemporary, or purportedly contemporary, accounts of important events: wars, the deaths of kings, bishops, and popes, and some interesting poems about such events.

They are clearly derived from a single original form, but show considerable variation, due to different scribal practices and where and when they were copied and continued. Information in one copy can often be supplemented or corrected from another, allowing a better glimpse of "Dark Age" England. They are mainly in Old English, but some have Latin entries, and there are medieval translations into Latin. (The fact that chronicles were *not* kept it Latin was unusual, and suggests that King Alfred was right about the poor state of learning in Viking-assaulted England.) It has been recognized since Elizabethan times as an important work, and one or another manuscript served as the basis of series of translations into English since the nineteenth century. Eventually, efforts were made to present two or more manuscripts together, producing a new round of translations.

This translation was originally published by J.M. Dent in 1996, and intended as a replacement for that publisher's Everyman's Library "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" translation of 1953, the highly-regarded, and often disliked, work of Norman Garmonsway. Highly regarded, because it was very accurate and followed the layout of a standard text edition of 1892, which displayed the considerable variety among the manuscripts. This layout allowed the student referring to a copy of Earle and Plummer's edition to find the appropriate passage in the original language with little effort. Disliked, because the same arrangement is very hard to follow, and the small print in the notes and index was annoyingly hard to read. The 1953 edition was revised in 1954, and issued in paperback in the 1970s with a few bibliographic updates. It was a state-of-knowledge treasure at the time, but an explosion in historical and archeological work in the following decades made it ever more creaky with age. My copy of the paperback is falling apart from use, some of that use a matter of getting used to the layout -- I share both views about it.

Well, those who disliked the layout will have to try reading a single-text or composite translation, instead of this one. Michael Swanton has preserved the 1892 placement of the text. Fortunately, his translation seems as precise as Garmonsway's -- a statement I feel qualified to make, having worked through the Chronicle texts in "Bright's Old English Reader" and several other student's editions. On the whole, it is, I think, more readable (although I miss the old phrasing in a few passages). The pages are physically larger, and so is the type, (although the notes are still just below my comfort level), and the genealogical tables and maps are both easy to read and detailed enough to be useful.

Sooner or later, of course, Swanton's annotations will begin to show their age too, although the technology of the next fifty years may allow more frequent and more radical improvements in published works than was possible in the twentieth century. Meanwhile, a collaborative edition of all the texts is in the process of publication, and a new understanding of the growth of the Chronicle may emerge, suggesting new ways of arranging and presenting the material. For now, however, Michael Swanton has provided an essential tool -- and buried in it is a lot of good reading.

Fascinating material
With all due respect to the previous reviewer, this is a fine place to start with this fascinating work. Following the story of the Anglo-Saxons from their rather shadowy beginnings (the early parts of the book aren't precisely historical, as is explained in the introduction) through their battles with the Vikings and their conquest by the Normans, as told in their own words, one also gets to see the chronicle's authors grow in sophistication. Anyone interested in this period should have a copy of this book.

This particular edition is more readable than the Garmonsway, if only because it isn't printed in eye-demolishingly tiny print. It also has better footnotes. (The translation itself is just as good; it's a matter of taste if anything.) It shares a characteristic I wasn't all that enthralled with in Garmonsway, however: the multiple-text format. By trying to put all of the material into one volume, it scatters about various alternate readings from different manuscripts. Scholarly, perhaps, but it makes it harder to actually read as literature. But that's quibbling.

All told, this is a fine edition of a crucial primary source. Quite enjoyable.

Good for the Price
Well, I've seen better translations, but this is a good book for the price. It's thorough, if nothing else. I'd recommend it if you already have at least passing knowledge of the ASC. ... Read more