The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery


J.M. Adovasio - 2002
    M. Adovasio has spent the last thirty years at the center of one of our most fiery scientific debates: Who were the first humans in the Americas, and how and when did they get there? At its heart, The First Americans is the story of the revolution in thinking that Adovasio and his fellow archaeologists have brought about, and the firestorm it has ignited. As he writes, “The work of lifetimes has been put at risk, reputations have been damaged, an astounding amount of silliness and even profound stupidity has been taken as serious thought, and always lurking in the background of all the argumentation and gnashing of tenets has been the question of whether the field of archaeology can ever be pursued as a science.”

Images of the Past


T. Douglas Price - 1993
    The new edition maintains the authors' innovative solutions to two central problems of the course: first, the text continues to focus on about 80 sites, giving students less encyclopedic detail but essential coverage of the discoveries that have produced the major insights into prehistory; second, it continues to be organized into essays on sites and concepts, allowing professors complete flexibility in organizing their courses.

Casualties of Care: Immigration and the Politics of Humanitarianism in France


Miriam I. Ticktin - 2011
    Miriam Ticktin focuses on France and its humanitarian immigration practices to argue that a politics based on care and protection can lead the state to view issues of immigration and asylum through a medical lens. Examining two “regimes of care”—humanitarianism and the movement to stop violence against women—Ticktin asks what it means to permit the sick and sexually violated to cross borders while the impoverished cannot? She demonstrates how in an inhospitable immigration climate, unusual pathologies can become the means to residency papers, making conditions like HIV, cancer, and select experiences of sexual violence into distinct advantages for would-be migrants. Ticktin’s analysis also indicts the inequalities forged by global capitalism that drive people to migrate, and the state practices that criminalize the majority of undocumented migrants at the expense of care for the exceptional few.

Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines


Jeannine Davis-Kimball - 2002
    From China to Celtic lands, warriors, priestesses, and matriarchs come to life in this accessible and dramatic account of one archaeologist's search for the truth. Jeannine Davis-Kimball, a real-life Indiana Jones, recounts her exciting and dangerous career uncovering the real story behind Amazons, banshees, and mummies. Within all these groups, Davis-Kimball has uncovered an entire ancient class of courageous women who played vital and respected roles. "Warrior Women" is the first mainstream book to explore the lost world of women warriors that stretches from Europe to Asia. What emerges is not only a thrilling and exotic ride, but a provocative re-examination of gender roles for the 21st century.

Ancient Egypt: An Illustrated Reference to the Myths, Religions, Pyramids and Temples of the Land of the Pharaohs


Lucia Gahlin - 2000
    Readers will gain a unique understanding of this captivating culture through breathtaking, full-color illustrations, in-depth text, detailed maps, and comprehensive chronologies. You'll read about: - Famous burial sites - The mortuary temples of the many gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt - Gods and goddesses - Pharaohs - Festivals - Offerings - Superstitions - And more! An invaluable reference to one of the most intriguing periods of history.

The First Signs: Unlocking the Mysteries of the World's Oldest Symbols


Genevieve von Petzinger - 2016
    The place: Europe. The time: 25,000 years ago, the last Ice Age. In reality, you live in an open-air tent or a bone hut. But you also belong to a rich culture that creates art. In and around your cave paintings are handprints and dots, x’s and triangles, parallel lines and spirals. Your people know what they mean. You also use them on tools and jewelry. And then you vanish—and with you, their meanings.Join renowned archaeologist Genevieve von Petzinger on an Indiana Jones-worthy adventure from the open-air rock art sites of northern Portugal to the dark depths of a remote cave in Spain that can only be reached by sliding face-first through the mud. Von Petzinger looks past the beautiful horses, powerful bison, graceful ibex, and faceless humans in the ancient paintings. Instead, she’s obsessed with the abstract geometric images that accompany them, the terse symbols that appear more often than any other kinds of figures—signs that have never really been studied or explained until now.Part travel journal, part popular science, part personal narrative, von Petzinger’s groundbreaking book starts to crack the code on the first form of graphic communication. It’s in her blood, as this talented scientist’s grandmother served as a code-breaker at Bletchley. Discernible patterns emerge that point to abstract thought and expression, and for the first time, we can begin to understand the changes that might have been happening inside the minds of our Ice Age ancestors—offering a glimpse of when they became us.

Hard Evidence: Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology


Dawnie Wolfe Steadman - 2002
    An essential supplement to a forensic anthropology text, this reader provides case studies that demonstrate innovative approaches and practical experiences in the field. The book provides both introductory and advanced students with a strong sense of the types of cases in which forensic anthropologists become involved, as well as their professional and ethical responsibilities, the scientific rigor required, and the multidisciplinary nature of the science.

Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol 1


John Lloyd Stephens - 1843
    Classic (1843) exploration of jungles of Yucatan, looking for evidences of Maya civilization. Extensive accounts of 44 Maya sites as well as of Yucatan folkways, manners, dress, ceremonies, amusements—all of which makes this a great travel book. Total in set: 127 engravings. 1 map.

A History of Archaeological Thought


Bruce G. Trigger - 1989
    The development of archeological thought is analyzed by examining archeological history to determine to what extent its trends reflect archeologists' personal & collective interests.List of IllustrationsPrefaceThe relevance of archaeological history Classical archaeology & antiquarianismThe beginnings of scientific archaeologyThe imperial synthesis Culture-historical archaeologySoviet archaeology Functionalism in Western archaeology Neo-evolutionism & the new archaeology The explanation of diversity Archaeology & its social contextBibliographical EssayReferencesIndex

An Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt


Kathryn A. Bard - 2007
    Provides an unprecedented introduction to the archaeology of ancient Egypt and its culture, monuments, and civilizationBeautifully illustrated with over 120 color and black and white illustrations, including artifacts, maps, and site and building plansIncludes special sections on such topics of perennial interest as building the pyramids at Giza, mummification, and deciphering hieroglyphsOrganized into 11 chapters, covering: the history of Egyptology and Egyptian archaeology; prehistoric and pharaonic chronology and the ancient Egyptian language; geography, resources, and environment; and seven chapters organized chronologically and devoted to specific archaeological sites and evidenceIncludes discussion of new excavations in Egypt, connecting recent work with the results of projects spanning the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries

Stonehenge Decoded


Gerald S. Hawkins - 1965
    What was Stonehenge? A city of the dead? A Druid altar of sacrifice? A temple to the sun? In this book, the astronomer who decoded these awesome monuments tells the story surrounding the mythology of Stonehenge then recreates his dramatic findings and the controversy that ensued on both sides of the Atlantic. Black-and-white photos and illustrations.

The Tomb of Tutankhamen


Howard Carter - 1954
    Reprint.

Culture Sketches: Case Studies in Anthropology


Holly Peters-Golden - 1993
    The groups selected are peoples whose traditional cultures are uniquely their own. Each has distinctive patterns and practices; each has faced the challenge of an encroaching world, with differing results. Moreover, they often provide the prime illustrations of important concepts in introductory anthropology course including Azande witchcraft, Ju/'hoansi egalitarianism, Trobriand kula exchange, and Minangkabau matriliny. As such, this volume can stand alone as an introduction to central ethnographic concepts through these 15 societies, or serve as a valuable companion to anthropology texts. Many of the peoples presented are involved in the diaspora; some struggle to preserve old ways in new places. All sketches follow a logical, consistent organization that makes it easy for students to understand major themes such as history, subsistence, sociopolitical organization, belief systems, marriage, kinship, and contemporary issues.

Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine's Passion to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures


Matthew Bogdanos - 2005
    A mixture of police procedural, treasure hunt, war-time thriller, and cold-eyed assessment of the international black market in stolen art, Thieves of Baghdad also explores the soul of a truly remarkable man: a soldier, a father, and a passionate, dedicated scholar. Matthew Bogdanos has been an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan since 1988-where New York tabloids call him pit bull for his relentless prosecution of criminals such as the 15-year-old Baby-Faced Butchers for their 1997 grisly Central Park murder and rappers Sean P. Diddy Combs and Jamal Shyne Barrows for their 1999 shootout. A colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, middleweight boxer, and native New Yorker, he was raised waiting tables in his family's Greek restaurant in lower Manhattan and holds a classics degree from Bucknell University, a law degree and a master's degree in classics from Columbia University, and a master's degree in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. Commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marines in 1980, he served as a Judge Advocate until he left active duty to join the District Attorney's Office, rising to Senior Homicide Trial Counsel in 1996. Recalled to active duty after losing his apartment near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, he joined a multi-agency task force in Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star for counterterrorist operations against al-Qaeda. He then served in Iraq and the Horn of Africa as the head of that task force and received a 2005 National Humanities Medal from President George Bush for his work recovering Iraq's priceless treasures. He has returned to the DA's Office where he still boxes for the New York City Police Department Widows & Orphans Charity and continues the hunt for stolen antiqu

The Goddess and the Bull: Catalhoyuk: An Archaeological Journey to the Dawn of Civilization


Michael Balter - 2004
    Today, under the direction of Ian Hodder, excavations continues unabated. This multi-faceted biography tells the story of Catalhoyuek from a variety of angles. It tells the story of the discovery of the site, of those that directed excavations and the team of diggers and experts working there, as well as their relationships, rivalries and personal aims. However, the book also provides insights into the process of archaeology, discussing what the findings of the Neolithic Dawn of Civilization'. This behind-the-scenes look at the site and the people drawn to it each season is both engaging and informative, much like the site itself. A revealing narrative of people and ideas at the working face of archaeology' - Colin Renfrew.