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Books > Humanities > Archaeology
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.
The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia is a unique blend of
comprehensive overviews on archaeological, philological,
linguistic, and historical issues at the forefront of Anatolian
scholarship in the 21st century. Anatolia is home to early complex
societies and great empires, and was the destination of many
migrants, visitors, and invaders. The offerings in this volume
bring this reality to life as the chapters unfold nearly ten
thousand years (ca. 10,000-323 B.C.E.) of peoples, languages, and
diverse cultures who lived in or traversed Anatolia over these
millennia. The contributors combine descriptions of current
scholarship on important discussion and debates in Anatolian
studies with new and cutting edge research for future directions of
study. The fifty-four chapters are presented in five separate
sections that range in topic from chronological and geographical
overviews to anthropologically based issues of culture contact and
imperial structures, and from historical settings of entire
millennia to crucial data from key sites across the region. The
contributors to the volume represent the best scholars in the field
from North America, Europe, Turkey, and Asia. The appearance of
this volume offers the very latest collection of studies on the
fascinating peninsula known as Anatolia.
Since the early 20th century the scholarly study of Anglo-Saxon
texts has been augmented by systematic excavation and analysis of
physical evidence - settlements, cemeteries, artefacts,
environmental data, and standing buildings. This evidence has
confirmed some readings of the Anglo-Saxon literary and documentary
sources and challenged others. More recently, large-scale
excavations both in towns and in the countryside, the application
of computer methods to large bodies of data, new techniques for
site identification such as remote sensing, and new dating methods
have put archaeology at the forefront of Anglo-Saxon studies. The
Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology, written by a team of experts
and presenting the results of the most up-to-date research, will
both stimulate and support further investigation into those aspects
of Anglo-Saxon life and culture which archaeology has fundamentally
illuminated. It will prove an essential resourse for our
understanding of a society poised at the interface between
prehistory and history.
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.
'Beautifully written, sumptuously illustrated, constantly
fascinating' The Times On 26 November 1922 Howard Carter first
peered into the newly opened tomb of an ancient Egyptian boy-king.
When asked if he could see anything, he replied: 'Yes, yes,
wonderful things.' In Tutankhamun's Trumpet, acclaimed Egyptologist
Toby Wilkinson takes a unique approach to that tomb and its
contents. Instead of concentrating on the oft-told story of the
discovery, or speculating on the brief life and politically
fractious reign of the boy king, Wilkinson takes the objects buried
with him as the source material for a wide-ranging, detailed
portrait of ancient Egypt - its geography, history, culture and
legacy. One hundred artefacts from the tomb, arranged in ten
thematic groups, are allowed to speak again - not only for
themselves, but as witnesses of the civilization that created them.
Never before have the treasures of Tutankhamun been analysed and
presented for what they can tell us about ancient Egyptian culture,
its development, its remarkable flourishing, and its lasting
impact. Filled with surprising insights, unusual details, vivid
descriptions and, above all, remarkable objects, Tutankhamun's
Trumpet will appeal to all lovers of history, archaeology, art and
culture, as well as all those fascinated by the Egypt of the
pharaohs. 'I've read many books on ancient Egypt, but I've never
felt closer to its people' The Sunday Times
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.
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