The Affair of Rennes is a nest of enigmas that has baffled and enthralled readers in equal measure for more than fifty years. From a minor riddle of local history about a tiny village in the south of France, it has become a global phenomenon, inspiring countless articles, books, documentaries and even movies. Yet the core questions at the heart of the story have remained unsolved. Until now. In The Map and the Manuscript: Journeys in the Mysteries of the Two Rennes, author Simon M. Miles retraces his steps on a twenty-year investigation into the Affair and describes a series of breakthroughs which have broken the seals on this intriguing puzzle. For the first time, knowledge that has been carefully hidden from view for decades, and even longer, is revealed. The anonymous author of a strange surrealist poem is unmasked, and his identity proves to be the key to unlocking the riddles which have remained resolutely sealed. From the mysterious parchments, to the enigmatic book written by a local priest in the nineteenth century, to the persistent claims of alignments between significant sites in the landscape, the Affair of Rennes gives up its secrets in this book. Richly illustrated with 140 maps, charts, photographs and diagrams, The Map and the Manuscript marks a new era in understanding one of the great unsolved, mysteries of the twentieth century.

Archaeologists, historians, chemists, and physicists have employed a variety of chemical and physical approaches to study artifacts and historical objects since at least the late 18th century. During the past 50 years, the chemistry of archaeological materials has increasingly been used to address a broad spectrum of anthropological topics, including preservation, dating, nativity, exchange, provenance, and manufacturing technology. This book brings together 28 papers that address how various analytical techniques can be used to address specific archaeological questions. Chemists, archaeologists, geologists, graduate students, and others in related disciplines who are investigating the use of archaeometric techniques will find this book of interest.

Peter Jewell and Juliet Clutton-Brock had a shared passion for animals and Africa, and as brilliant young zoologists in the 1960s they were pioneers of the new movements in ecology, archaeozoology and animal conservation. This fascinating account of their extraordinary lives follows them as they travel, and live, in and out of Africa accompanied by their three daughters and a medley of pets, including dogs, cats, tortoises, chameleons and a chimpanzee.

This book contains catalogues, analyses, photographs and drawings of some 2,000 archaeological artefacts excavated from the Insula of the Menander in Pompeii. The catalogues, and analyses are organized by provenance - buildings, rooms, and location within rooms - so that the reader can understand the artefacts as household assemblages. The functions of artefacts and groups of artefacts are discussed, as are the Latin names which are often given to these artefacts, and the relationships of these assemblages to the state of occupancy of the buildings in the Insula during the last years of Pompeii. This study, therefore, provides a wealth of information, not only on the range and use of artefacts in Pompeian houses but also on Roman artefacts, and Roman society, more generally.