|
Showing 1 - 4 of
4 matches in All Departments
This concise dictionary is intended to be helpful in the reading of
archaeological books and publications, and in the writing of papers
and articles in both English and Italian. The aim of this work is
to help, in particular, students and on-site archaeologists to find
quickly a word relating to a specific period, a specific area or a
research field, in a book easy to carry everywhere; but this
dictionary is also intended for those with a general interest in
archaeology wishing to broaden their vocabulary
Rivers have often been the gateway to natural wilderness and the
first element of a natural landscape that humans made their own.
Some rivers have become the symbol of whole civilisations, such as
the Nile or the Tiber to Egyptians and Romans respectively. More
recently, pioneers exploring the continent of America have explored
the new land from within rivers, whose names have become by
extension the name of the land: 15 of the 50 states composing the
United States of America are borrowed from rivers. No other natural
feature has become embedded into human narratives as the river.
Rivers are frequently featured prominently in natural landscapes by
writers and artists, but they also turn up in unexpected places,
such as the mythical Greek underworld or Dante's Inferno. Rivers
made of stars (the Milky Way) have been recognised in the sky by
the Inca, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese (the "Peaceful River of
Heaven"), Hindu, Maori, Aboriginal Australians as well as other
cultures. The flow of a river has prompted many reflexions of its
similarity to time as well as human life and consciousness,
becoming a recurring theme in culture and philosophical thought. In
recent archaeological literature, rivers are often ignored from
narratives, or seen as part of the natural landscape. Yet, rivers
and streams have shaped most cities in the world and they should be
inserted more frequently, if not systematically, in archaeological
interpretations and narratives. The sea is very much in the minds
of scholars, especially in Europe, but rivers are denied the same
interest. It is hoped that this volume will generate some fresh
interest.
Aegean-type pottery has been found in the West Mediterranean for
more than a century and several publications have tried to explain
the phenomenon from an Aegeancentric point of view. The search for
metals, the arrival of Mycenaean people after the LH III B
destructions in Mainland Greece and the hypothesis that Mycenaeans
had to sail westwards because of the dominance of the Minoan
thalassocracy on the eastern routes are only some of the proposals.
Yet, what do we know about the Italics, the people who consumed,
and eventually produced, Aegean-type pottery? This question is at
the centre of this study. The state of research on this topic, in
spite of almost a century and a half of studies is disappointing.
The phenomenon is still seen in terms of economic exchange, where
the Aegeans are the primary players. There has been no attempt to
research methodically the reasons why the Italics accepted and used
Aegean-type pottery. In the last few decades, many anthropologists
have concentrated their efforts on ethnographic studies of patterns
of consumption and several theoretical models have been published
as a result. In particular, globalisation has provided the stimulus
for research focussed on cross-cultural consumption of standardised
products. Using these studies, this research has tried to provide
the Italic perspective, one of consumption as well as production.
The results of this research demonstrate the independence of the
Italics in their choices as consumers and provide insights on the
social and cultural processes of these Bronze Age populations. As a
result, while the role of the Aegeans in the phenomenon appears
less important, the complexity of the regional Italic processes
associated with the presence of Aegean-type pottery in the West
Mediterranean becomes more apparent.
This book examines how exotic materials were exchanged and used
across the Mediterranean from the Neolithic era to the Iron Age,
focusing on the Bronze Age. A variety of materials and
interpretative approaches are presented through several case
studies. These emphasise how the value of exotic materials depended
on the context in which they were consumed. The book firmly departs
from assumptions of fixed categories such as prestige items or
corresponding values, as evident in the Amarna letters. Instead, it
shows how almost any object could be appreciated or ignored
depending primarily on the cultural, social and economic dynamics
of individual communities.
|
You may like...
Poor Things
Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, …
DVD
R449
R329
Discovery Miles 3 290
|