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Books > Humanities > Archaeology > General
A captivating look at a bygone era through the lens of a single,
surprisingly momentous American year one century ago. 1908 was the
year Henry Ford launched the Model T, the Wright Brothers proved to
the world that they had mastered the art of flight, Teddy Roosevelt
decided to send American naval warships around the globe, the
Chicago Cubs won the World Series (a feat they have never yet
repeated), and six automobiles set out on an incredible 20,000 mile
race from New York City to Paris via the frozen Bering Strait.
A charming and knowledgeable guide, Rasenberger takes readers
back to a time of almost limitless optimism, even in the face of
enormous inequality, an era when the majority of Americans believed
that the future was bound to be better than the past, that the
world's worst problems would eventually be solved, and that nothing
at all was impossible. As Thomas Edison succinctly said that year,
"Anything, everything is possible."
From Plato's Timaeus onwards, the world or cosmos has been
conceived of as a living, rational organism. Most notably in German
Idealism, philosophers still talked of a 'Weltseele' (Schelling) or
'Weltgeist' (Hegel). This volume is the first collection of essays
on the origin of the notion of the world soul (anima mundi) in
Antiquity and beyond. It contains 14 original contributions by
specialists in the field of ancient philosophy, the Platonic
tradition and the history of theology. The topics range from the
'obscure' Presocratic Heraclitus, to Plato and his ancient readers
in Middle and Neoplatonism (including the Stoics), to the reception
of the idea of a world soul in the history of natural science. A
general introduction highlights the fundamental steps in the
development of the Platonic notion throughout late Antiquity and
early Christian philosophy. Accessible to Classicists, historians
of philosophy, theologians and invaluable to specialists in ancient
philosophy, the book provides an overview of the fascinating
discussions surrounding a conception that had a long-lasting effect
on the history of Western thought.
Stressing the interdisciplinary, public-policy oriented character
of Cultural Resource Management (CRM), which is not merely "applied
archaeology," this short, relatively uncomplicated introduction is
aimed at emerging archaeologists. Drawing on fifty-plus years'
experience, and augmented by the advice of fourteen collaborators,
Cultural Resource Management explains what "CRM archaeologists" do,
and explores the public policy, ethical, and pragmatic implications
of doing it for a living.
"The Archaeology of Capitalism in Colonial Contexts:
Postcolonial Historical Archaeologies" explores the complex
interplay of colonial and capital formations throughout the modern
world. The authors present a critical approach to this topic,
trying to shift discourses in the theoretical framework of
historical archaeology of capitalism and colonialism through the
use of postcolonial theory. This work does not suggest a new
theoretical framework as such, but rather suggests the importance
of revising key theoretical terms employed within historical
archaeology, arguing for new engagements with postcolonial theory
of relevance to all historical archaeologists as the field
de-centers from its traditional locations.
Examining case studies from North America, South America, the
Caribbean, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe, the
chapters offer an unusually broad ranging geography of historical
archaeology, with each focused on the interplay between the
particularisms of colonial structures and the development of
capitalism and wider theoretical discussions. Every author also
draws attention to the ramifications of their case studies in the
contemporary world. With its cohesive theoretical framework this
volume is a key resource for those interested in decolonizing
historical archaeology in theory and praxis, and for those
interested in the development of modern global dynamics.
"
The French invaded Algeria in 1830, and found a landscape rich in
Roman remains, which they proceeded to re-use to support the
constructions such as fortresses, barracks and hospitals needed to
fight the natives (who continued to object to their presence), and
to house the various colonisation projects with which they intended
to solidify their hold on the country, and to make it both modern
and profitable. Arabs and Berbers had occasionally made use of the
ruins, but it was still a Roman and Early Christian landscape when
the French arrived. In the space of two generations, this was
destroyed, just as were many ancient remains in France, in part
because "real" architecture was Greek, not Roman.
Alexander Nefedkin's highly original new book, translated by the
noted American scholar Richard L. Bland, is devoted to the
understudied topic of the military and military-political history
of Chukotka, the far northeastern region of the Russian Federation,
separated from Alaska by Bering Strait. This study is based on
primary sources, including archeological, folkloric, and
documentary evidence, dating from ancient times to the cessation of
conflict in the territory in the nineteenth century. Nefedkin's
analysis surveys the military history of these eras, reassessing
well known topics and bringing to light previously unknown events.
Short stories about the deep past and those who lived through
millennia of exploration, hardship, and uncertainty during the
evolution of farming. Winner of the 2019 Nautilus Book Award,
Multicultural and Indigenous "Swigart is to be congratulated for
giving us a series of connected short stories that are both
entertaining and educational. The book is accurately grounded in
archaeological facts, and its individual stories are thoroughly
believable. Its particular format should be emulated by all those
wishing to blend fact and fiction, not just as entertainment but as
education, too."-Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and
Heritage Studies In unforgettable stories of the human journey, a
combination of compelling storytelling and well-researched
archaeology underscore an excavation into the deep past of human
development and its consequences. Through a first encounter between
a Neanderthal woman and the Modern Human to the emergence and
destruction of the world's first cities, Mixed Harvest tells the
tale of the Neolithic Revolution, also called the (First)
Agricultural Revolution, the most significant event since modern
humans emerged. Rob Swigart's latest work humanizes the rapid
transition to agriculture and pastoralism with a grounding in the
archaeological record. From the introduction: In the space of a few
thousand years agriculture dominated the earth. We live with it all
around us. History began, cities soared, the landscape was
crisscrossed with roads.... Each story is prefaced by a short
introduction and followed by some context in order to stitch the
narrative together. Some stories are linked, but most are
independent. The stories are gathered into three chapters:
"Shelter," "House," and "Home." These represent a progression in
where we lived, a series of transformations in technology and
consciousness.
Every site that is inscribed on the World Heritage List (WHL) must
have a management plan or some other management system. According
to the UNESCO Operational Guidelines, the purpose of a management
plan is to ensure the effective protection of the nominated
property for present and future generations. This requirement was
in part necessitated by the need to implement real systems of
monitoring on the management of World Heritage Sites. Since its
implementation in 2005, discussion on the function and the contents
of management plans for World Heritage Sites has grown
tremendously. The discussions have mainly been focused on the
theoretical frameworks of World Heritage site management plans and
proposals of practical guidelines for their implementation. This
volume provides a platform for heritage practitioners, especially
those working at Cultural World Heritage Sites, to put in writing
their experiences and impressions about the implementation of site
management plans at properties that are inscribed on the WHL.
Cultural World Heritage Sites in this case refer to world heritage
properties such as archaeological sites, cultural landscapes,
religious sites and architectural structures. The book also seeks
to examine the extent to which site management plans have been or
are being implemented at Cultural World Heritage Sites.
This open access book provides an analysis of human actors and
their capacity to explore and conceptualise their own agency by
being curious, gathering knowledge, and shaping identities in their
travel reflections on Asia. Thus, the actors open windows across
time to present a profound overview of diverse descriptions and
constructions of Asia. It is demonstrated that international and
transnational history contributes to and benefits from analyses of
national and local contexts that in turn enrich our understanding
of transcultural encounters and experiences across time. The book
proposes an actor-centred contextual approach to travel writing to
recount meaningful constructions of Asia's physical, political and
spiritual landscapes. It offers comparative reflections on the
patterns of encounter across Eurasia, where from the late medieval
period an idea of civilisation was transculturally shared yet also
constantly questioned and reframed. Tailored for academic and
public discussions alike, this volume will be invaluable for both
scholars of Global History and interested audiences to stimulate
further discussions on the nature of global encounters in Asia.
This unique text/reference reviews the key principles and
techniques in conceptual modelling which are of relevance to
specialists in the field of cultural heritage. Information
modelling tasks are a vital aspect of work and study in such
disciplines as archaeology, anthropology, history, and
architecture. Yet the concepts and methods behind information
modelling are rarely covered by the training in cultural
heritage-related fields. With the increasing popularity of the
digital humanities, and the rapidly growing need to manage large
and complex datasets, the importance of information modelling in
cultural heritage is greater than ever before. To address this
need, this book serves in the place of a course on software
engineering, assuming no previous knowledge of the field. Topics
and features: Presents a general philosophical introduction to
conceptual modelling Introduces the basics of conceptual modelling,
using the ConML language as an infrastructure Reviews advanced
modelling techniques relating to issues of vagueness, temporality
and subjectivity, in addition to such topics as metainformation and
feature redefinition Proposes an ontology for cultural heritage
supported by the Cultural Heritage Abstract Reference Model
(CHARM), to enable the easy construction of conceptual models
Describes various usage scenarios and applications of cultural
heritage modelling, offering practical tips on how to use different
techniques to solve real-world problems This interdisciplinary work
is an essential primer for tutors and students (at both
undergraduate and graduate level) in any area related to cultural
heritage, including archaeology, anthropology, art, history,
architecture, or literature. Cultural heritage managers,
researchers, and professionals will also find this to be a valuable
reference, as will anyone involved in database design, data
management, or the conceptualization of cultural heritage in
general. Dr. Cesar Gonzalez-Perez is a Staff Scientist at the
Institute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit), within the Spanish
National Research Council (CSIC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Among the voyages of exploration and surveying in the late 18th
century, that of Alejandro Malaspina best represents the high
ideals and scientific interests of the Enlightenment. Italian-born,
Malaspina entered the Spanish navy in 1774. In September 1788 he
and fellow-officer Jose Bustamante submitted a plan to the Ministry
of Marine for a voyage of survey and inspection to Spanish
territories in the Americas and Philippines. The expedition was to
produce hydrographic charts for the use of Spanish merchantmen and
warships and to report on the political, economic and defensive
state of Spain's overseas possessions. The plan was approved and in
July 1789 Malaspina and Bustamante sailed from CA!diz in the
purpose-built corvettes, Descubierta and Atrevida. On board the
vessels were scientists and artists and an array of the latest
surveying and astronomical instruments. The voyage lasted more than
five years. On his return Malaspina was promoted Brigadier de la
Real Armada, and began work on an account of the voyage in seven
volumes to dwarf the narratives of his predecessors in the Pacific
such as Cook and Bougainville. Among much else, it would contain
sweeping recommendations for reform in the governance of Spain's
overseas empire. But Malaspina became involved in political
intrigue. In November 1795 he was arrested, stripped of his rank
and sentenced to life imprisonment. Although released in 1803,
Malaspina spent the last seven years of his life in obscure
retirement in Italy. He never resumed work on the great edition,
and his journal was not published in Spain until 1885. Only in
recent years has a multi-volume edition appeared under the auspices
of the Museo Naval, Madrid, that does justice to the achievements
of what for long was a forgotten voyage. This first volume of a
series of three contains Malaspina's diario or journal from 31 July
1789 to 14 December 1790, newly translated into English, with
substantial introduction and commentary. Among the places visited
and described are Montevideo, Puerto Deseado, Port Egmont, Puerto
San Carlos, ValparaA so, Callao, Guayaquil and PanamA!. Other texts
include Malaspina's introduction to his intended edition, and his
correspondence with the Minister of the Marine before and during
the voyage.
The finances of the country were in a state of the utmost disorder.
A profuse and corrupt monarch, whose profuseness and corruption
were imitated by almost every functionary, from the highest to the
lowest grade, had brought France to the verge of ruin. The national
debt amounted to 3000 millions of livres, the revenue to 145
millions, and the expenses of government to 142 millions per annum:
leaving only three millions to pay the interest upon 3000 millions.
-from "The Mississippi Scheme" The savings-and-loan scandals of the
1980s. The dotcom craze of the 1990s. The housing bubble of the
2000s. It may seem as if mass financial insanity is a result of
complex global economies and modern high finance, but it's been
with us for centuries, as this classic expose of the madness of
humanity-particularly as it relates to money-demonstrates in a way
that's both disturbing and highly illuminating for those wishing to
avoid getting lost in such madness again. This abridged edition of
the 1841 classic focuses exclusively on the infamous financial
mania that have become bywords when discussing the economic
collapses of today: the Mississippi Scheme, in which an
18th-century Scottish financier created a stock bubble in France
for land in the New World the South Sea bubble, the 18th-century
stock swindle sometimes called "the Enron of England" the infamous
tulip mania that seized Holland in the 1600s These powerful studies
of the human relationship to money remain startlingly relevant
today... as they are sure to still be centuries from now. Scottish
journalist CHARLES MACKAY (1814-1889) held an honorary law degree
from Glasgow University, as well as a doctorate in literature. A
renowned poet and songwriter, he also authored a Dictionary of
Lowland Scotch.
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