Space and Time in Mediterranean Prehistory addresses these two concepts as interrelated, rather than as separate categories, and as a means for understanding past social relations at different scales. The need for this volume was realised through four main observations: the ever growing interest in space and spatiality across the social sciences; the comparative theoretical and methodological neglect of time and temporality; the lack in the existing literature of an explicit and balanced focus on both space and time; and the large amount of new information coming from prehistoric Mediterranean. It focuses on the active and interactive role of space and time in the production of any social environment, drawing equally on contemporary theory and on case-studies from Mediterranean prehistory. Space and Time in Mediterranean Prehistory seeks to break down the space-time continuum, often assumed rather than inferred, into space-time units and to uncover the varying and variable interrelations of space and time in prehistoric societies across the Mediterranean. The volume is a response to the dissatisfaction with traditional views of space and time in prehistory and revisits these concepts to develop a timely integrative conceptual and analytical framework for the study of space and time in archaeology.

First published in 1928, this volume constituted the results of expeditions by the famous archaeologist and explorer of Central Asia, Albert von Le Coq. Funded by the last German emperor, Wilhelm II, and von Le Coq's own brewing and winery empire, the second and third German expeditions ventured to Turfan in the Xinjiang region of China. Travelling East expecting to find Greek influences, the expedition in fact uncovered extensive networks of Buddhist and Manichaean cave temples in the Northwest China. This volume includes extensive images in addition to a record of the expedition's journeys and discoveries.

Ireland's First Settlers tells the story of the archaeology and history of the first continuous phase of Ireland’s human settlement. It combines centuries of search and speculation about human antiquity in Ireland with a review of what is known today about the Irish Mesolithic. This is, in part, provided in the context of the author's 50 years of personal experience searching to make sense of what initially appeared to be little more than a collection of beach rolled and battered flint tools. The story is embedded in how the island of Ireland, its position, distinct landscape and ecology impacted on when and how Ireland was colonised. It also explores how these first settlers evolved their technologies and lifeways to suit the narrow range of abundant resources that were available. The volume concludes with discussions on how the landscape should be searched for the often ephemeral traces of these early settlers and how sites should be excavated. It asks what we really know about the thoughts and life of the people themselves and what happened to them as farming began to be introduced.

For those wishing to study the Roman city in Egypt, the archaeological record is poorer than that of many other provinces. Yet the large number of surviving texts allows us to reconstruct the social lives of Egyptians to an extent undreamt of elsewhere. We are not, therefore, limited to a history of the public faces of cities, their inscriptions, and the writings of their elites, but can begin to understand what the transformations of the city meant for ordinary people, and to uncover the forces that shaped the everyday lives of city dwellers.
After Egypt became part of the Roman Empire in 30 BC, Classical and then Christian influences both made their mark on the urban environment. This book examines the impact of these new cultures at every level of Egyptian society.
The result is a new and fascinating insight into the creation of a specific urban society in the Roman Empire, as well as a case study for the model of urban development in antiquity.


eBook available with sample pages: 0203469267

Coinage is one of our key sources for the rich and fascinating history of the Hellenistic world (323-31 BC). This book provides students of the period with an up-to-date introduction to Hellenistic gold, silver and bronze coins in their cultural and economic contexts. It also offers new perspectives on four major themes in contemporary Hellenistic history: globalisation, identity, political economy and ideology. With more than 250 illustrations, and written in a lucid and accessible style, this book sheds new light on the diverse and multicultural societies of the Hellenistic world, from Alexander to Augustus. The author assumes no prior knowledge of Hellenistic history, and all Greek and Latin texts are translated throughout.

Contents:
Contents Forward Acknowledgements Information for the Reader Athens and Piraeus 1. Athens: a historical overview 2. The Acropolis 3. The slopes of the Acropolis and the Peripatos 4. The Areopagos, the Hill of the Nymphs, the Mouseion Hill with the Pnyx, the Philopappos Monument and the Kerameikos 5. The Greek Agora, the Roman Market, the Library of Hadrian and Monastiraki 6. Plaka, Olympieion, Ilissos Area, the First Cemetery and the Stadium of Herodes Atticus 7. The National Garden, main boulevards, National Museum, Lykabettos, Tourkovounia and the Academy at Kolonos Hippios 8. Piraeus and Daphni 9. Kaisariani and the monasteries and quarries on Hymettos Attica I: from Athens to Sounion and in the Mesogeia 1. Glyphada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Vari and the southwest Attic coastal sites 2. From Anavyssos to Sounion 3. The Laurion, Thorikos, Porto Raphti and Brauron 4. The Mesogeia: Loutsa, Raphina, Spata, Markopoulo, Koropi and Paiania Attica II: the Plain of Marathon and the Battle of MArathon 490BC 2. The Marathon Area 3. Rhamnous 4. The Amphiareion of Oropos and Avlona Attica III: Pentelikon and Dionysos 2. Parnes with Phyle and Menidi 3. Eleusis 4. The Thriasian Plain The Megarid, the Attic Border Forts and Perachora 1. Megara 2. Alepochori and Vathichoria in the Megarian Hinterland 3. The Attic Border Forts: Aigosthenai, Eleutherai and Oinoe 4. The Isthmus of Corinth and Diolkos 5. Perachora The Islands of the Saronic Gulf: Salamis, Aigina and Poros 1. Salamis 2. Aigina 3. Poros Appendices 1. The Geography of Attica 2. The modern Structure: Administration and economy 3. The Flora 4. The Fauna 5. Some basic concepts of ancient architecture Glossary 6. Observations on Byzantine Church Building in Greece a) the Early Christian period (306-527) b) The Early Byzantine Period (527-843) c) The Middle Byzantine Period (843-1204) d) The Late Byzantine Period (1204-1460) e) the Post Byzantine Period (1460-1830) 7. List of the most important monuments in chronological order Index of Sites and Monuments Bibliography

Multi-disciplinary with a wide geographical range.

Plato's legend of the famed lost continent of Atlantis has become notorious among scholars as the most absurd lie in literature. Exciting our imagination and our curiosity, Atlantis Destroyed explores the possibility that Plato's account is the historical truth.
In this fascinating account, Rodney Castleden considers the widely-debated location of Atlantis and its destruction, the literary origins of utopian Atlantis and how this became confused with Plato's authentic account and also the remarkable parallels between Plato's narrative and the bronze age civilisation in the Aegean.

Gyeongju, the capital of the Kingdom of Silla, grew from a loose confederation of villages, called Saro, to become the capital of most of the Korean peninsula. Its relationships with Japan, the Eurasian Steppes, and countries along the Silk Road leading to Europe helped to make the city one of the most prosperous and significant in ancient East Asia. In this seminal new volume, Sarah Milledge Nelson draws on over 30 years' experience to offer the first complete history of this fascinating city. Gyeongju explores culture, class and rank, industry, international relations, rulers, and socio-cultural issues such as gender, and examines in detail the complex systems of class and rank, Gyeongju's position as the royal seat of Silla, and the influence and legacy of the ancient city. Excavations in Gyeongju have provided evidence not only of the wealth and power of the monarchy, but also of production and agriculture, and the reach of Gyeongju's trade routes, making this city a fascinating case study for the region. Augmented with extensive maps and images which illustrate the city's rich history, this volume is crucial reading for anyone interested in the city, the kingdom of Silla, the history and archaeology of Korea, and early urbanism and state formation in East Asia.

The majority of literature about the Viking period, based on artefacts or written sources, covers battles, kings, chiefs and mercenaries, long distance travel and colonisation, trade, and settlement. Less is said about the life of those that stayed at home, or those that immigrated into Scandinavia, whether voluntarily or by force. This book uses results from the examination of a substantial corpus of Swedish osteological material to discuss aspects of demography and health in the Viking period face=Calibri>- those which would have been visible and recognisable in the faces or physical appearances of the individuals concerned. It explores the effects of migration, from the spread of new diseases such as leprosy to patterns of movement and integration of immigrants into society. The skeletal material also allows the study of levels of violence, attitudes towards disablement, and the care provided by Viking communities. An overview of the worldwide phenomenon of modified teeth also gives insight into the practice of deliberate physical embellishment and body modification. The interdisciplinary approach to questions regarding ordinary life presented here will broaden the knowledge about society during the Viking Age. The synthesis of the Swedish unburnt human skeletal remains dated to the Viking age will be a valuable resource for future research, and provides an in-depth view on Viking age society.

Contents:
Emerging Elites I: perspectives on state formation in Korea Preface Introduction 1. State formation in the southern Korean peninsula: a critical review 2. Early Korean states: a review of historical interpretation 3. The development of stoneware technology in southern Korea 4. A technological study of earthenware and stoneware from southern Korea 5. Discoveries of iron armour on the Korean peninsula 6. Walled sites in the Three Kingdoms settlement patterns 7. The emergence and expansion of Silla as seen archeologically 8. Korean capital cities Appendix I. Western language works on Korean state formation (ref: Ch. 2)

Did Trajan really deserve his reputation as the embodiment of all imperial virtues? Why did Dante, writing in the Middle Ages, place him in the sixth sphere of Heaven among the Just and Temperate rulers? In this, the only biography of Trajan available in English, Julian Bennett rigorously tests the substance of this glorious reputation. Surprisingly, for a Roman emperor, Trajan comes through the test with his reputation relatively intact.

The Archaeology of Difference presents a new and radically different perspective on the archaeology of cross-cultural contact and engagement. The authors move away from acculturation or domination and resistance and concentrate on interaction and negotiation by using a wide variety of case studies which take a crucially indigenous rather than colonial standpoint.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203298810

The impact of classical Rome on ancient Britain, as perceived by the late Victorian and Edwardian elites, was a resource of immense contemporary political value. The images it produced helped to define the idea and practice of British imperialism, and the very concept of "Englishness". Academics colluded in this process and this created a legacy in Roman archaeology which persists to the present day. Richard Hingley's work explores this relationship. His thorough examination of late Victorian and Edwardian writings on Rome and the ancient Britons illuminates the historical context and development of Roman archaeology, and simultaneously makes a contribution to the debates on English identity and imperialism. This landmark study should be useful reading for scholars and students in Roman archaeology, ancient history, colonial studies and historiography.

This landmark book shows how much Victorian and Edwardian Roman archaeologists were influenced by their own experience of empire in their interpretation of archaeological evidence. This distortion of the facts became accepted truth and its legacy is still felt in archaeology today. While tracing the development of these ideas, the author also gives the reader a throrough grounding in the history of Roman archaeology itself.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203136500

Douglass Bailey's volume fills the huge gap that existed for a comprehensive synthesis, in English, of the archaeology of the Balkans between 6,500 and 2,000 BC; much research on the prehistory of Eastern Europe was inaccessible to a western audience before now, because of linguistic barriers.
Bailey argues against traditional interpretations of the period, which focus on the origins of agriculture and animal breeding. He demonstrates that this was a period when monumental social and material changes occurred in the lives of the people in this region, with new technologies and ways of displaying identity.
Balkan Prehistory will be required reading for everyone studying the Neolithic, Copper and early Bronze Ages of Eastern Europe.

The period from 6500 to 2500 BC was one of the most dynamic eras of the prehistory of south-eastern Europe, for it saw many fundamental changes in the ways in which people lived their lives. This up-to-date and authoritative synthesis both describes the best excavated relevant Balkan sites and interprets long-term trends in the central themes of settlement, burial, material culture and economy. Prominence is given to the ways people organized themselves, the houses and landscapes where they lived and the objects, plants and animals that they kept. The key developments are seen as the creation of new social environments through the construction of houses and villages, and a new materiality of life which filled the built environment with a wide variety of objects. Against the prevailing trends in European prehistory, the author argues for a prehistoric past riven with tension and conflict, where hoarding and exclusion of people was just as frequent as sharing and helping. "Balkan Prehistory" provides a much-needed guide to a period which has previously been inaccessible to western scholars.;It should be a useful resource for undergraduates, advanced students and scholars.

This accessible book provides the only comprehensive introduction to the wealth of ancient monuments and artefacts discovered on Sicily. From the Paleolithic to the later Roman period it explores all the main topics of archaeological interest including:
* Greek colonisation
* sanctuaries and burial
* the architecture of temples, houses, theatres and military sites
* sculpture
* cities.
With concise and illuminating commentary, over 200 illustrations and a comprehensive bibliography, The Archaeology of Ancient Sicily continues to be the standard work on the subject.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203469623

The pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt in the mid-fourteenth century BCE, has been the subject of more speculation than any other character in Egyptian history. This provocative new biography examines both the real Akhenaten and the myths that have been created around him. It scrutinises the history of the pharaoh and his reign, which has been continually written in Eurocentric terms inapplicable to ancient Egypt, and the archaeology of Akhenaten's capital city, Amarna. It goes on to explore the pharaoh's extraordinary cultural afterlife, and the way he has been invoked to validate everything from psychoanalysis to racial equality to Fascism.

In this readable and intriguing study, Stefan Reif tells a number of remarkable stories. He explains how Cairo came to have its important Genizah archive, how Cambridge developed its interests in Hebraica, and how a number of colourful figures brought about the connection between the two centres. Also reliably summarised here are the importance of the Genizah material for Jewish cultural history and the manner in which its conservation, decipherment and publication have proceeded in the course of a century.
The book will serve as a helpful reference work for students and teachers of Jewish history and literature. Perhaps more importantly, it will introduce the whole topic to those with an interest in uncovering the secrets of the past but lacking the awareness that the Genizah's contents are at least as important for this purpose as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

King Arthur: The Truth Behind the legend offers a more complete picture of Arthur's Britain and his place in it than ever before.
This exciting new investigation argues not only that Arthur did exist, as a Dark Age chieftain, but that many of the romantic tales - Merlin, Camelot, and Excalibur - are rooted in truth. In his quest for the real King Arthur, Rodney Castleden uses up-to-date archaeological and documentary evidence to recreate the history and society of Dark Age Britain and its kings. He revives the possibility that Tintagel was an Arthurian residence, and proposes a radical new theory - that Arthur escaped alive from his final battle. A location is even suggested for perhaps the greatest mystery: the whereabouts of Arthur's grave.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203022165

Landscapes of Neolithic Ireland is the first volume to be devoted solely to the Irish Neolithic, using an innovative landscape and anthropological perspective to provide significant new insights on the period. Gabriel Cooney argues that the archaeological evidence demonstrates a much more complex picture than the current orthodoxy on Neolithic Europe, with its assumption of mobile lifestyles, suggests. He integrates the study of landscape, settlement, agriculture, material culture and burial practice to offer a rounded, realistic picture of the complexities and the realities of Neolithic lives and societies in Ireland.

Landscapes of Neolithic Ireland is the first volume to be devoted solely to the Irish Neolithic, using an innovative landscape and anthropological perspective to provide significant new insights on the period.
Gabriel Cooney argues that the archaeological evidence demonstrates a much more complex picture than the current orthodoxy on Neolithic Europe, with its assumption of mobile lifestyles, suggests. He integrates the study of landscape, settlement, agriculture, material culture and burial practice to offer a rounded, realistic picture of the complexities and the realities of Neolithic lives and societies in Ireland.

The Roads of Roman Italy offers a complete re-evaluation of both the evidence and the interpretation of Roman land transport. The book utilises archaeological, epigraphic and literary evidence for Roman communications, drawing on recent approaches to the human landscape developed by geographers. Among the topics considered are:
* the relationship between the road and the human landscape
* the administration and maintenance of the road system
* the role of roads as imperial monuments
* the economics of road construction and urban development.


eBook available with sample pages: 0203062418

Contents:
Looking back, looking forward - the field of Anglo-Saxon archaeology. Reorganization among the ruins. York 700-1050. Constructions of wood, stone and ink - the churches of 8th-century England. Wearmouth and Jarrow in their continental context, The Anglo-Saxon church at Canterbury. Anglo- Saxon church building - aspects of design and construction. Archaeology and the cult of St Oswald in pre-conquest Northumbria. The Anglo-Saxon cemetary at Sutton Hoo - an interim report. Beowulf and Sutton Hoo - the odd couple. Children, death and the afterlife in Anglo-Saxon England. Repton and the Vikings. An Anglo-Saxon "cunning woman" from Bidford-on-Avon. Questioning the monuments - approaches to Anglo-Saxon sculpture through gender studies. Statements in stone - Anglo-Saxon sculpture, Whitby and the Christianization of the north. Women's costume in the 10th and 11th centuries and textile production in Anglo-Saxon England. The archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England - theory and practice.