In the early nineteenth century, as amateur archaeologists excavated Pompeii, Egypt, Assyria, and the first prehistoric sites, a myth arose of archaeology as a magical science capable of unearthing ...and reconstructing worlds thought to be irretrievably lost. This timely myth provided an urgent antidote to the French anxiety of amnesia that undermined faith in progress, and it armed writers from Chateaubriand and Hugo to Michelet and Renan with the intellectual tools needed to affirm the indestructible character of the past.
From Paris to Pompeiireveals how the nascent science of archaeology lay at the core of the romantic experience of history and shaped the way historians, novelists, artists, and the public at large sought to cope with the relentless change that relegated every new present to history.
In postrevolutionary France, the widespread desire to claim that no being, city, culture, or language was ever definitively erased ran much deeper than mere nostalgic and reactionary impulses. Göran Blix contends that this desire was the cornerstone of the substitution of a weak secular form of immortality for the lost certainties of the Christian afterlife. Taking the iconic city of Pompeii as its central example, and ranging widely across French romantic culture, this book examines the formation of a modern archaeological gaze and analyzes its historical ontology, rhetoric of retrieval, and secular theology of memory, before turning to its broader political implications.
This book compiles a series of case studies derived from archaeological excavation in Greek cultural contexts in the Mediterranean (ca. 800-100 B.C), addressing the current state of the field, the ...goals and direction of Greek archaeology, and its place in archaeological thought and practice. Overviews of archaeological sites and analyses of assemblages and contexts explore how new forms of data; methods of data recovery and analysis; and sampling strategies have affected the discourse in classical archaeology and the range of research questions and strategies at our disposal. Recent excavations and field practices are steering the way that we approach Greek cultural landscapes and form broader theoretical perspectives, while generating new research questions and interpretive frameworks that in turn affect how we sample sites, collect and study material remains, and ultimately construct the archaeological record. The book confronts the implications of an integrated dialogue between realms of data and interpretive methodologies, addressing how reengagement with the site, assemblage, or artifact, from the excavation context can structure the way that we link archaeological and systemic contexts in classical archaeology.
Expansive archaeological fieldwork conducted over the past few decades prior to the development of Ramat Bet Shemesh has led to substantial discoveries dating from prehistoric to modern times. The ...excavations uncovered a rich tapestry of remains—settlements, farmsteads, stone quarries, agricultural terrace walls, winepresses, limekilns, columbaria, cisterns and burial caves—that represent various aspects of ancient life. Moreover, as these excavations were concentrated within a rather small geographical unit, the abundance of new data they have revealed allows for an in-depth test case for understanding the larger Judean Shephelah region. The articles in this book, which are organized chronologically, paint a comprehensive and diverse archaeological picture of the region. Some of the articles offer expansive overviews of the region during specific periods, while others focus on individual sites, finds or phenomena.
Since 2007, the conferences organized under the title
'Broadening Horizons' have provided a regular venue for
postgraduates and early career scholars in Ancient Near Eastern
Studies. Three volumes ...present the proceedings of the 6th
Broadening Horizons Conference, which took place at the Freie
Universität Berlin from 24-28 June, 2019. The general theme,
'Bridging the Gap: Disciplines, Times, and Spaces in Dialogue', is
aimed at encouraging communication and the development of
multidisciplinary approaches to the study of material cultures and
textual sources. Volume 3 contains 14 papers from Session 4 -
Crossing Boundaries: Connectivity and Interaction; and Session 6 -
Landscape and Geography: Human Dynamics and Perceptions.
Ashqelon Barne'a the Early Bronze Age Site, Volume II, the Finds (IAA reports 70), is the second of two volumes comprising the complete and final report of the three excavation seasons at the Early ...Bronze Age I site of Ashqelon Barne‘a that took place in 2004 and 2005. Volume I (IAA Reports 65) includes an introduction to the excavations, the geographical and geomorphological setting, the stratigraphy, architecture and settlement planning, radiocarbon (14C) dating and an appendix concerning Byzantine remains. Volume II , the finds, is comprised of thirteen chapters and includes a full presentation of the ceramic assemblage, its petrographic analysis, the flint and groundstone assemblages, the metal objects, the bone tool industry, small finds of ceramic and stone, human skeletal remains and mortuary practices, the faunal, fish, mollusc and archaeobotanical remains as well as a full summary and discussion of the excavation and its finds.
Roberta Gilchrist critically evaluates the concept of sacred heritage. Drawing on global perspectives from heritage studies, archaeology, museology, anthropology and architectural history, she ...examines the multiple values of medieval Christian heritage. Gilchrist investigates monastic archaeology through the lens of the material study of religion and reveals the sensory experience of religion through case studies including Glastonbury Abbey and Scottish monasticism. Her work offers new insights into medieval identity and regional distinctiveness, healing and magic, and memory practices in the sacred landscape. It also reflects on the significance of medieval sacred landscapes as contested heritage sites which hold diverse meanings to contemporary groups. This title is also available as Open Access.
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