Archaeology of Touchstones

Archaeology of Touchstones PDF Author: Martin Ježek
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789088905193
Category : Birka Site (Sweden)
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Did ancient Europeans truly believe in an active after-life, as modern Europeans would like to think they did? What purpose did grave-goods actually serve? Are archaeology and the historical sciences in general able to shed, once and for all, a curse placed upon them at their inception as research disciplines in the early nineteenth century? Searching for answers to these questions is the aim of this book which has been written on the basis of widely spread, typical components of grave-goods. For the last two centuries, they have been interpreted incorrectly, because of being aligned with archaeologists' ideas about the spiritual world of the society in question.0The book introduces a recently discovered phenomenon that accompanied mankind from his discovery of the uses of metal all the way through to the Middle Ages - that is the importance of touchstones, tools used to determine the nature and test the nature and value of non-ferrous metals. Of the hundreds of thousands of such finds, which have most often been regarded as 'whetstones', the author has made a selection of specimens that cast light on the role of touchstones in the culture of ancient societies, especially in the burial ritual.

Archaeology of Touchstones

Archaeology of Touchstones PDF Author: Martin Ježek
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789088905193
Category : Birka Site (Sweden)
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Get Book Here

Book Description
Did ancient Europeans truly believe in an active after-life, as modern Europeans would like to think they did? What purpose did grave-goods actually serve? Are archaeology and the historical sciences in general able to shed, once and for all, a curse placed upon them at their inception as research disciplines in the early nineteenth century? Searching for answers to these questions is the aim of this book which has been written on the basis of widely spread, typical components of grave-goods. For the last two centuries, they have been interpreted incorrectly, because of being aligned with archaeologists' ideas about the spiritual world of the society in question.0The book introduces a recently discovered phenomenon that accompanied mankind from his discovery of the uses of metal all the way through to the Middle Ages - that is the importance of touchstones, tools used to determine the nature and test the nature and value of non-ferrous metals. Of the hundreds of thousands of such finds, which have most often been regarded as 'whetstones', the author has made a selection of specimens that cast light on the role of touchstones in the culture of ancient societies, especially in the burial ritual.

Testing Ancient Indian Traditions

Testing Ancient Indian Traditions PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description


Time Before History

Time Before History PDF Author: H. Trawick Ward
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 9780807847800
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Book Description
Describes the state's prehistory and archaeological discoveries

Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology

Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology PDF Author: William A. Longacre
Publisher: Century Collection
ISBN: 9780816534791
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Ethnoarchaeology, the study of material culture in a living society by archaeologists, facilitates the extraction of information from prehistoric materials as well. Studies of contemporary pottery-making were initiated in the southwestern United States toward the end of the nineteenth century, then abandoned as a result of changes in archaeological theory. Now a resurgence in ethnoarchaeology over the past twenty-five years offers a new set of directions for the discipline. This volume presents the results of such work with pottery, a class of materials that occurs abundantly in many archaeological sites. Drawing on projects undertaken around the world, in the Phillipines, East Africa, Mesoamerica, India, in both traditional and complex societies, the contributors focus on identifying social and behavioral sources of ceramic variation to show how analogical reasoning is fundamental to archaeological interpretation. As the number of pottery-making societies declines, opportunities for such research must be seized. By bringing together a variety of ceramic ethnoarchaeological analyses, this volume offers the profession a much-needed touchstone on method and theory for the study of pottery-making among living peoples.

Archaeology and the New Testament

Archaeology and the New Testament PDF Author: John McRay
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 0801036089
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
A veteran archaeologist sheds light on the biblical text by examining archaeological discoveries.

Doing Archaeology in the Land of the Bible

Doing Archaeology in the Land of the Bible PDF Author: John D. Currid
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 0801022134
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
A popular introduction to archaeology and the methods archaeologists use to reconstruct the history of ancient Israel.

Time Detectives

Time Detectives PDF Author: Brian Fagan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684818280
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Reports on some notable archaeological finds of recent years. The author describes how today's archaeologists use science and technology to recapture the past, for instance, by studying ancient diets from bone collagen and reconstructing lost landscapes from fossilized seeds and grains.

The Archaeology of Pineland

The Archaeology of Pineland PDF Author: William H. Marquardt
Publisher: Uf Ins. of Archaeology & Paleo Studies
ISBN: 9781881448136
Category : Calusa Indians
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
An overview of the archaeology and development of the coastal southwest Florida site complex at Pineland from AD 50-1710.

Archaeological Ethics

Archaeological Ethics PDF Author: Karen D. Vitelli
Publisher: Rowman Altamira
ISBN: 9780759109636
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
The second edition of Archaeological Ethics is an invitation to an ongoing and lively discussion on ethics. In addition to topics such as looting, reburial and repatriation, relations with native peoples, and professional conduct, Vitelli and Colwell-Chanthaphonh have responded to current events and news stories. Twenty-one new articles expand this ongoing discussion into the realm of intellectual property, public outreach, archaeotourism, academic freedom, archaeological concerns in times of war, and conflicting values. These compelling articles, from Archaeology Magazine, American Archaeology, and Expedition are written for a general audience and provide a fascinating introduction to the issues faced every day in archaeological practice. The article summaries, discussion and research questions, and suggestions for further reading--particularly helpful given the vast increase in related literature over the last decade--serve as excellent teaching aids and make this volume ideal for classroom use.

Patina

Patina PDF Author: Shannon Lee Dawdy
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022635122X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the world reacted with shock on seeing residents of this distinctive city left abandoned to the floodwaters. After the last rescue was completed, a new worry arose—that New Orleans’s unique historic fabric sat in ruins, and we had lost one of the most charming old cities of the New World. In Patina, anthropologist Shannon Lee Dawdy examines what was lost and found through the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Tracking the rich history and unique physicality of New Orleans, she explains how it came to adopt the nickname “the antique city.” With innovative applications of thing theory, Patina studies the influence of specific items—such as souvenirs, heirlooms, and Hurricane Katrina ruins—to explore how the city’s residents use material objects to comprehend time, history, and their connection to one another. A leading figure in archaeology of the contemporary, Dawdy draws on material evidence, archival and literary texts, and dozens of post-Katrina interviews to explore how the patina aesthetic informs a trenchant political critique. An intriguing study of the power of everyday objects, Patina demonstrates how sharing in the care of a historic landscape can unite a city’s population—despite extreme divisions of class and race—and inspire civil camaraderie based on a nostalgia that offers not a return to the past but an alternative future.