4 comments about A History of Archaeological Thought.

1. Trigger's comprehensive synthesis traces the origins and developement of archaeological theory from antiquity to post-processualism. With a global perspective, Trigger explorers the philosophical and scientific milestones that altered or redirected archaeological thought throughout its history. An excellent and readable reference.



2. Trigger's book, "A History of Archaeological Thought", is an excellent addition to any archaeological method and theory (M&T) class at the graduate or undergraduate level. I purchased this book, as recommended by a professor of mine, to read in addition to all the readings assigned in my graduate M&T class. Trigger articulates in few words what many archaeological theorists take pages to explain (eg. Binford). It was extremely helpful, and made wading through different theoretical paradigms much more enjoyable.



3. It's not just the updated and critical revision of the historiographic literature of the last 18 years; necessary for all those archaeologist, historians, philosophers, or in general, social scientists interested in the historic study of the different dimensions of archaeological practice and theory. But, above all, it is the aufhebung of Trigger's previous work that allow us to put into a wide perspective the current issues of worldwide archaeology, inside the context of the social sciences as part of the global history of the modern world.



4. Trigger's work, first published in 1989, is one of the best syntheses available on the history of archaeology as a discipline and on the theoretical perspectives which have accompanied each stage of the development of the discipline.
   
   Trigger carefully links each of the theoretical perspectives - such as unilineal evolution, cultural materialism, Marxism, postprocessual and historical theory - with the historic and cultural developments in archaeology and in Western and world society that each perspective is based on. Besides the value of this work to archaeologists, members of the general public who want to gain an understanding of why archaeologists "do" archaeology and anthropology should read Trigger's work as well.
   
   Very well done, and highly recommended.

5 comments about Primitive Technology.

1. Loaded with history and skills, these two books are a must for any student of primitive living. Get both books, you wont regret it.



2. This is a pretty good overview and introduction, with good illustrations. The field of primitive skills has more advanced techniques that are not covered in this book.



3. It has occurred to me that a primitive technology for instant communication has existed for a long time: heliography. All you need it silver or gold metallurgy to make a decent mirror. A very simple way to precisely aim a beam of sunlight from a mirror exists, for the geomentrically unimpaired. With a large mirror, signalling from one mountain peak to another over distances of 50 miles is achievable.
   
   I wonder if any ancient empires practiced this. The crusader kingdoms in Lebanon used fire beacons to indicate they had not yet been overrun by those pesky Arabs and Kurds, but there was no actual telegraphing of text. The earliest telegraph I know of was done in Sweden in the early 19th century, by semaphore assisted with telescopes. Sunny day and batteries not required, as long as there was daylight and a clear view.
   
   One thing about this book... I went out right away, cut off a yucca spine, and started making string out of it. Yep, it really works (but is very labor intensive). Stone chipping was not so successful because you really need the right kind of stone. I've GOT TO TRY IT when I find a good stone!



4. The book is an overview of a wide range of skills and lacks details on how on how to do them.



5. Long ago our knowlegdge was passed down from the elder generations. This book fills the void our society of alienation has created with detailed accounts of "how-to" knowledge. Tempered with instruction, the reader will find scientific analysis of all facets of "primitive" survival methodologies. By far, these are the best encyclopedic volumes of information that would otherwise be lost to us all. If you share any penchant for living with the earth, buy this book...immediately! You should also check out the society of primitve technology online. This group publishes bi-annual journals on primitive skills. I gave this a four because some of the instructions can be vague and for all intents and purposes should be used in conjunction with hands on interaction with a skilled mentor. Enjoy this awe-inspiring collection of knowledge!

2 comments about Human Antiquity: An Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology.

1. I used this for an introductory Anthropology/Archaeology course and found it easy to understand and very informative. The vocabulary was easy to find and learn and the by using the index it was possible to find subjects easily. I really liked using this book. It also had great picutres.



2. Now in a revised and updated fourth edition, Human Antiquity: An Introduction To Physical Anthropology And Archaeology continues to be an ideal text for classroom curriculums. Absorbing, straightforward explanations of human origins and evolution are presented beginning with an innovative opening chapter surveying creation myths and comparing the methods and purposes of science with those of belief systems. Also included in this outstanding text are an overview of evolution, and offers up-to-date information on such controversial issues as the Human Genome project, scientific creationism, the "collapse" of civilization, and more. With this new edition is a section on the contribution of genetics to questions of the geographic source of Native Americans, a major revision and update on the archaeology of Catalhoyuk, the Indus Valley, and the Olmec, early hominid diets, new finds from Dmanisis, Georgia, and Bose in southern China, stone tools from West Turkana, and much, much more. Human Antiquity is reader friendly and an ideal text for the non-specialist general reader seeking to become introductorily acquainted with the latest developments in both physical anthropology and archaeology.

5 comments about The Oxford History of the Biblical World.

1. This truly is an excellent resource, as discussed by other reviewers. Unfortunately, though, the paperback version is not just a reprint of the hardback in floppy covers. Instead, many of the visual features that contribute so much to the appeal of the hardback edition have been removed. Admittedly several remain, including a section of color plates in the middle of the book, but one who is familiar with the hardback likely will be disappointed by the paperback.



2. I must admit that my expectation was for greater accuracy to proper verbage than was printed. Much of the time the authors used location names, like 'Palistine', when referencing 'BC' (BCE) rather than the true name 'Isreal.' Small verbal goofs like this was unexpected from an institution like the Oxford press. Most of the information, though, was excellent, and informative.



3. This book has proved more and more valuable over time. As a pastor and seminary student, it helps to place Biblical events in the proper context. As an aspiring Ancient historian, the clear, concise text and apt photos and illustrations make sense of some pretty dense reading in other texts. It's even a fun read for enjoyment!



4. Buyer beware. The chapter on the time of Jesus reads like an op-ed piece, not a history book. The author of it is Amy-Jill Levine, who describes herself on her website as a "Yankee Jewish feminist . . . with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist, and homophobic theologies." If you are a Christian looking for a neutral, scholarly source of information, keep looking.



5. This book relates history to the Bible, giving readers a new perspective on world events at the time of events recorded in the Bible. It's certainly not a fast read, but it's interesting.

5 comments about Worlds Before Our Own.

1. This little book is truly a remarkable find. Presented in a clear and lucid style, Mr. Steiger presents information concerning anomalous archeological finds without the hyperbole usually associated with this type of material.
   
   A great deal of information is provided in a compact format. The book is only a total of 224 pages long and is a reprint by Anomalist Books of the book, which was originally published over 30 years ago. It would be nice to have an update of the information provided - has any new information turned up or has anyone done first hand research of any of the sites mentioned? For example, early in the book the author mentions that concrete blocks, as well as a wall of these blocks, were found in a seam of coal in Oklahoma in 1928. Due to a tunnel collapse, this section of the mine was immediately closed thereafter. It would be interesting to follow-up on this report by first hand reporting of the site in question.
   
   Overall, the book is worth the money and provides a very nice overview of this topic.



2. Very interesting information - it makes me think that the history we're taught in school is so edited down, we may as well start over to get any kind of grasp of where we've come from. I'm glad this was compiled and preserved - it has reorganized my thinking in several areas. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that no real way is given to authenticate every case included in the book.



3. The mounting scientific and paleontological evidence towards an alternative to the current world view, that man evolved from apes during the last three to five million years, is skillfully and relentlessly presented by Brad Steiger in this landmark book. It is now widely accepted that the fragmented physical evidence for the establisment view would not actually fill a car boot whereas the accumulation of what are considered by science to be random anomalous finds is quickly filling a space the size of the Royal Albert Hall. Quite apart from the evidence which is being subverted from public view the tidle wave of skeletal remains, human footprints frozen in rock strata alongside those of dinosaurs, metal tools, metal jewellery and metal ornaments all discovered in strata beyond 50 million years of age, all point to human involvement in the affairs of planet Earth on a timescale which completely alters and constantly predates the established view by millions of years.
   We are long overdue for a radical review of human origins and our perceptions of our place in the universe. The tipping point will come when the general public comes forward in greater numbers to question the current thesis. Anyone at all interested in human origins and the birth of civilizations would do well to get up to speed and educate themselves on the subject and what better place to start than with this excellent book.



4. I read this because a young member of my book group is interested in such topics (para-normal, alternative history, etc.) Can't say I was impressed. Most of the book was regurgitated quotes from other writings, and mostly out of date. I found the book repetitive and disorganized. The topics were indeed interesting--where did we come from? how much more do we have to learn about the history of the earth and of humans? how advanced were previous civilizations and how much can we discover about them? I liked the premise, but not the presentation.



5. Hi everyone. This is not your usual run of the mill ufo conspiracy theory book written for psychics by authors who can't distinguish the nuts & the bolts from the spiritual, whereby the only people who can see ufos are of the psychic persuasion but is rather an alternative view on ancient civilisations & the possibility that we are not the first advanced technological civilisation. The author goes on to describe annoying annomolies & artifacts that are dug up at archaeological digs from depths in the ground where only dinosaur bones are supposed to be found which would make these artifacts millions of years old. The author also asks the taboo question whether mankind actually existed alongside these giant reptiles.
   
   Not only is there mention of giant reptiles but of giant humans, too. Is it possible that the human race were responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs? There is mention of a giant human skeleton at 34 feet long! This raises the questions if there were such massive humans what species were they & if technology was so advanced at one time is it possible that these humans were genetically engineered to be so big & why isn't there mention of these giant human species in orthodox natural history books?
   
   Atlantis is also mentioned & the possibility was mentioned that it was once a vast island continent that spanned the Atlantic ocean & may have been destroyed by complacent scientists or in a massive prehistoric war. Amerindian history teaches of human history as being cyclic, that is the human race starts off as hunter gatherers & then advances technologically until the human race meets a golden age in science & medicine & then the advanced civilisation gets destroyed either in a natural disaster or the human race becomes arrogant, complacent & greedy & destroys itself in a massive war! There is mention of evidence of prehistoric nuclear conflicts on our planet where glassy patches are found in the sand in some of the desert areas of our planet similar to those found in the Nevada desert after nuclear experiments were carried out in world war 2.
   
   Amerindian history also teaches that there are to be seven cycles & by the seventh cycle mankind would have learnt to live in harmony with nature & with each other & that the human race would have reached the point of utopia. The author ran through the seven cycles & he is of the opinion we are probably in the sixth cycle & not the seventh! Afterall you only have to look around you at our society today, particularly western society which is based on capitalism, greed & overpopulation to realise that our society is heading towards the destruction of our planet & ourselves! Everything has to be done at 90 miles an hour today, even our leisure is based on being hard & fast! Today we live in a revolting materialistic must have society, a society based on selfishness!
   
   Amerindian culture which is totally alien to our way of thinking but far superior in idealism is based on putting back into the Earth what is taken from it & the Amerindians never overpopulated there habitat unlike us in the west who have been overpopulated for centuries & have always had to rely on a technological fix to sustain our population levels. The author also emphasises that Amerindian society wasn't always primitive but was once very advanced like our own society, possibly even more so with heavier than air flying machines. There is also mention that some sightings of wee folk seen both in Europe & Amerindian culture could be attributed to the ufo sightings that are seen today! Is it possible that some historians have found evidence of these advanced machines that appear as ufos & that these have now been reverse engineered by the American military & this technology actually existed in prehistory?
   
   Do buy this book it's an interesting read & very thought provoking!

2 comments about Archaeology: A Brief Introduction.

1. Have you ever wondered how pieces of long lost civilizations find a home in museums? Perhaps a dashing hero discovered them while escaping enemies? No. Real archaeologists spend countless hours researching information on a particular subject and only then does on-site excavation begin.

   This book is for those that want to know more. Brain Fagan takes a subject that many are interested in and actually puts it into perspective. Most people don't understand the numerous factors that are involoved in archaeology. The book provides a wonderful introduction to those willing to get their feet wet.

   I highly recommend this book to the armchair archaeologists that want to know more about the craft and science. This is a great pre-requisite to The Oxford Companion to Archaeology (a book edited by Fagan as well).




2. Brian Fagan is a lively writer with a clear enthusiasm for his profession., an enthusiasm that is in fact quite contagious. The scientific progression of archaeology has historically taken a somewhat circuitous course, with different theories and methods competing for the limelight. With this is mind, one can understand what a difficult task it would be to sum up this history, methodology and theory in one short book. Overall, Mr. Fagan has done an admirable job, and peppers the book with illustrative examples form prehistory. Nonetheless, there are some sections (particularly on archaeological theory) where I found myself reading and re-reading sentences trying to dissect exactly what he was trying to get at. I came away with a solid, though not complete, understanding of archaeologic fundamentals and the reality of archaeology -- and for a more complete picture, I will likely move on to longer, and more advanced, books.

1 comments about World Prehistory and Archaeology: Pathways through Time (MyAnthroKit Series).

1. I used this book for my Intro to Archaeology class. The inside of the book was very clean and not written on. The outside front cover was folded at the top-right hand corner. I don't know if it was due to the shipping or if the seller had described that in the description. All in all, good purchase, good experience.

5 comments about The Complete World of Greek Mythology.

1. I've been picking through the gamut of Greek myth texts for an introductory course, and I was fortunate to come across this beauty. It's not just a mythology text that the art historian can use, it's the ONLY classical myth "textbook" I have encountered that could legitimately appeal to art history classes. There are illustrations (usually color photos) on every page. The quality of the pages and binding itself is also really quality stuff. The narration is pretty standard. It's more of a summary text kind of thing than the various excerpts you find in other classical myth texts. I wouldn't use any of the other mythology texts, but this one makes a wonderful supplement to primary source material such as Homer, Hesiod and/or the tragedians. This thing raises the bar for the presentation of classical myth books.



2. Reminds me of a college text book. It's very informative, so be prepared. It's not just a collection of the myths.



3. This is a truly beautiful book, placing Greek myth in context. Well worth the price. The author's voice comes through quite nicely, and I do feel like I'm attending a lecture series at an art museum.



4. Good book for young children interested in this subject since pictures abound and captions tell a clear story. the text is more for late teens and above so the book has a good shelf life if bought when kids are young.



5. Somewhere amid the oodles of glossy photos of athlete-festooned kraters and oinochoes, I was hoping to discover some well narrated myths. My quest was frustrated. Not only does the book provide, at best, sketchy coverage of the thrilling heroic epics (e.g., Theseus, Perseus, Herakles), but one must hunt around for a sentence here and a paragraph there--even to reconstruct something as basic and tightly definable as the "birth of Zeus and overthrow of Kronos" story. That said, I feel strongly obliged to assign three stars merely because the volume is so overwhelmingly physically beautiful. Give this book wide berth and reach for either Schwab (a narrative cyclopedia) or D'Aulaire (a fun, richly illustrated--if purportedly juvenile--panorama). Graves isn't bad, either, but it's oriented toward the scholar of comparative evolution of mythosystems or some such, not for the seeker of glorious old tales, spicily woven; nor can you go wrong with Hamilton, though that's clearly showing its age.

5 comments about Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (Oxford Archaeological Guides).

1. I just returned from Rome, using this book as my primary guide. We were able to identify almost every random bit of ancient archaelogy sticking out of the ground as we walked about the city, and if you've been to Rome, you'll understand how impressive that is.
   
   A major shortcoming that I noticed is that the book treats the ancient-era churches very lightly: while the myths of gods such as Pollux and Castor are frequently referenced in relation to the ancient sites, the C1 AD story of Saint Clement is inexplicably left out of the section on the church of San Clemente constructed by Constantine. Also, as the author states in the beginning, the intent of this guide is to detail ancient Rome only. If you are interested in medieval, Renaissance, or ecclessiastic history, you will certainly need a supplemental guide.
   
   Now, for the advantages... The guide systematically presents every ancient structure in Rome (we were never disappointed), providing a very good map at the beginning of each chapter for a major area (e.g. the Palatine, Field of Mars) to help you identify what you are looking at. The site is laid out in a sort of walking tour format and if you begin at the point suggested, you can follow the chapter page by page as it logically guides you through the region. We did find that writing in page references for each location on the map at the beginning made the book much easier to use. For more complicated buildings, additional diagrams are provided in the appropriate subsection where it is further detailed. The Baths of Caracalla are a superb example of this.
   
   While Claridge delves a bit too thoroughly into the exact type of marble used in the facing and floors of each building, you find yourself recognizing the materials and envisioning the baths, basillicas, and forums as they might have looked clad in Phyrgian red and Numidian yellow marbles. With frequent referencing, we soon became familiar with Caracella, Domitian, and Nerva as we viewed the great construction projects they enacted. The author presents quite clearly the historical origin and significance of each site as well as its original appearance (if known) and the many refurbishments it went through with the frequent fires of Rome.
   
   For our trip, we opted out of taking any tours, and we didn't feel we missed anything. We were often surrounded by tours and gained more information from our book than the guide was sharing with his group. You never know how reliable a guide really is, and with this book, you can be assured of Amanda Claridge's credentials. The trip became a bit of a mystery adventure for us as we excitedly reconstructed the ruins around us into the elegant structures they once were.
   
   Even if you do decide to go with a more mainstream guide book for your trip to Rome, you will find this one to be an invaluable supplement for all those tidbits that the major guides just don't have time to cover.



2. I used this book for my second trip to Rome and it was absolutely invaluable. I wish that I had it for my first trip. I am a person who only cares about the Ancient Roman artifacts and this book literally has ever one listed by region that you have access to. If you decide to use this book bring along a highlighter and check off the sections that you complete, by the end of the day you will be amazed at how much you have seen. I cannot recommend this book enough.



3. You can't really understand Rome without this companion. It looks deeply into the very heart of the city, into its foundations and the stories they tell. This is practical archaelology at its best, presenting us with the lessons that history can teach us.



4. I had the fortune or misfortune of buying this book prior to my first visit to Rome. It is such a well-organized, well-written, and concise guide to ancient Rome that you could make the mistake that I made upon completing it and my first visits there. You might search a long, long time and spend a lot of money trying to find something better. Based upon my experience, a university-level seminar or a three semester hour course is the only thing that could surpass this guide.
   
   Don't be put off by simplified plans shown in the pages. You need clear, simple ideas of what the stuff once was to understand what you're looking at. When you're in the ruins, you will be surrounded by other tourists, any changing weather conditions, and you will be viewing the architectural remains of a previous civilization from many different standpoints. You can't do that successfully without a clear, simple concept already in your mind.
   
   Fodor's Holy Rome, 1st Edition: A Millennium Guide to Christian Sights (Fodor's Holy Rome)



5. I took this book, along with a plethora of touristy guidebooks, and this one got read the most! We spent hours and hours in the Forum and the Palatine, and really delighted in uncovering the mysteries of so many building foundations. I left Rome wishing I had an archaeologist as a personal tour guide, but this book was an excellent substitution! It can be read at home, but I found infinitely more meaning when I sat at the site and read about where I was. Take this to Rome if you are interested in the ancients!

5 comments about Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology.

1. This reviewer wholeheartedly agrees with Prof. Feder's principle that scholarly research needs to ignore beliefs and follow the evidence to wherever it leads. Unfortunately, Feder provides ample examples of the violation of that principle himself. He consistently puts his 'scientific' beliefs ahead of sound research. A couple of instances should suffice to illustrate the paradox in his thinking.
   
   One of his suppositions is that Altantis is mythological. Yet, the real physical, geological evidence demonstrates that there was a large island in the middle of the North Atlantic about 12,000 years ago. The flora and fauna at the bottom of the Atlantic proves that. There is no evidence one way or the other as to whether the island was inhabited at that time. Other geological evidence shows that a large asteroid (about 4 miles in diameter) collided with the earth about 11,200 years ago (more than half a million circular and oval craters in North America alone, dated by means of erosion analysis to about 10-12,000 year ago; a mass extinction event at that time which destroyed over half the large animal species in North America; ice core data that dates a vast and sudden climate change to that point in time; diminution of all surviving large animal species owing to damage to the ozone layer by the impact, estimated at a 7/8 loss of it; the shift of the axis of the earth to its present location ('Ice Age' is a 19th century scientific myth. The only places that glaciers form is in mountains and at polar icecaps, neither of which are in northeastern North America, the supposed epicenter of the last so-called ice age.); etc.) Therefore, an objective researcher would have to withhold judgment as to whether Atlantis existed where and when Plato indicated.
   
   In conjunction with the potentially false belief that Atlantis is a myth is the science 'dogma' drilled into the heads of geologists in contradiction to the actual evidence. The most blatant form of this is in their belief toward what are called 'eratics.' These are large boulders in the middle of fields with no apparent explanation for how they got there. At colleges everywhere, geology departments feed their students the line that glaciers moved them there from hundreds of miles away. However, geologists who actually do research under glaciers maintain that glaciers are completely incapable of moving boulders four inches let alone four hundred miles. The ice crushes them into rubble in place underneath. Only liquid water can move such large objects to the current locations. Yet some 'scientists' want to avoid having to admit that, because the implication is that a worldwide Deluge occurred in the not too distant past.
   
   A second example is his belief with regard to the Shroud of Turin. Many scientists, because of the religious implications, steadfastly want to believe that it is not genuine despite the scientific evidence which contradicts their belief. Ultimately, they rely upon the four independently done carbon-14 tests, each of which concurred that the cloth dates to the Middle Ages. However, they ignore the scientific fact that each sample was tainted with a bioplastic coating, that none of the four facilities bothered to clean it off before testing and thus all produced an erroneous and artificially young dating for the material. Some of these True Believers in what is actually pseudo-scientific mythology hang their hats on the claim that the image on the cloth was painted during the Medieval Era. The science fact is that the 1978 STURP science research team found that the image could not have been created by paint because that substance seaps into the fibrils of the material and they conclusively proved that the image is only a surface radiation burn of some unknown type. Nor can the 'scientists' explain how 27 different kinds of pollen were found in the weave of the cloth, which could only have gotten there at the time of manufacture. The only place on earth where all 27 pollens exist is the vicinity of Jerusalem.
   
   Professor Feder is guilty of what he decries. He does correctly identify many hoaxes and beliefs unsupported by sound academic research such as Piltdown Man and creationism. However, he also needs to set aside his own beliefs and follow the evidence to wherever it leads rather than suppress or ignore real evidence that contradicts his beliefs.



2. This was one of my college textbooks. It's a great overview of the scientific method. It covers many of the famous anthropology "claims" such as who really settled North America, including reasons why people make their various claims. It also does a nice job debunking most of those claims, but largely gives the reader a sense of how to apply critical thinking to make up their own mind.



3. This fascinating book helps explore the world of archaeological mystery and the pseudoscience behind the myths that make it into popular culture. A must read for new students to the field of archeology.



4. This was one of the textbooks for an online Anthroplogy course that I took several years ago. It may be the most important book that I have read. While the myths that it addresses are interesting in their own right (ancient civilizations that preceded native Americans in the western hemisphere, druids and stonehenge, etc), the real impact of this book is how people ignore the facts when they don't support their ingrained beliefs. Every science student should read the first chapter. It explains the widespread scientific illiteracy in this nation. Every non-science student should be forced to read the entire book.



5. This book was a required text for an Anthropology class I took. I liked it a lot. I found it to be a bit pesimistic and a great deal true. Feder explores the archaeological finds that test reason, faith, and science.