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The discovery of material remains from the recent or the ancient past has always been a source of fascination, but the development of archaeology as an academic discipline which interpreted such finds is relatively recent. It was the work of Winckelmann at Pompeii in the 1760s which first revealed the potential of systematic excavation to scholars and the wider public. Pioneering figures of the nineteenth century such as Schliemann, Layard and Petrie transformed archaeology from a search for ancient artifacts, by means as crude as using gunpowder to break into a tomb, to a science which drew from a wide range of disciplines - ancient languages and literature, geology, chemistry, social history - to increase our understanding of human life and society in the remote past.

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150 results in Cambridge Library Collection - Archaeology

Page 1 of 8

Schliemann's Excavations
  • An Archaeological and Historical Study
  • Carl Schuchhardt
  • Translated by Eugénie Sellers
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    17 April 2014
  • This overview of the famous and pioneering excavations of Heinrich Schliemann was first published in German in 1889, and in this extended English translation in 1891. The author, Carl Schuchhardt (1859–1943), had wide experience of excavations in both Asia Minor and Europe, and the translator, Eugénie Sellers (1860–1943), was the first female student of the British School at Athens. The book begins with a life of Schliemann, who had died in 1890, and goes on to describe his extraordinary discoveries at Troy and Mycenae, and his work at Tiryns, Ithaca and Orchomenos. It also contains two reports of later work at the mound of Hissarlik, the site of Troy, by Schliemann himself and his assistant Wilhelm Dörpfeld, which had not been included in the German edition. The book is illustrated with many line drawings, and includes the famous photograph of Sophia Schliemann wearing 'the gold of Troy'.

Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan
  • Personal Narrative of a Journey of Archaeological & Geographical Exploration in Chinese Turkestan
  • M. Aurel Stein
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    13 February 2014
  • Between 1900 and 1901, the Hungarian-born archaeologist Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943) made the first of several significant trips through Central Asia. In 1903, he published this account of his journey from Calcutta to London via the deserts of Chinese Turkestan. The text is richly illustrated with photographs of locations on the route followed by Stein's party, as well as of the people they encountered and many of the artefacts they excavated in the vicinity of the ancient oasis town of Khotan. Stein intended his book to be accessible to non-specialists, and his descriptions of the many important archaeological discoveries, such as Sanskrit texts of Buddhist scriptures, are interspersed with compelling human details and anecdotes about traversing the challenging terrain of eastern Central Asia. The work of an indefatigable explorer, this book sheds light on the spread of Graeco-Buddhist culture along the Silk Route.

Nineveh and its Remains
  • With an Account of a Visit to the Chaldaean Christians of Kurdistan, and the Yezidis, or Devil-Worshippers
  • Volume 1
  • Austen Henry Layard
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    31 October 2013
  • Before abandoning archaeology for politics, Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817–94) carried out major excavations in Mesopotamia between 1845 and 1851, uncovering important evidence of ancient Assyrian civilisation. Although he originally believed that Nimrud was Nineveh, he later confirmed that Kuyunjik was the location of the ancient city. First published in 1849, this two-volume work is a mixture of excavation report, ancient history, anthropology and travel writing. Layard's excitement at the extent and importance of the finds as soon as digging commenced is clearly conveyed, and he places Mesopotamian history in the context of the more familiar biblical and classical worlds. His Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon (1853) is also reissued in this series. Volume 1 covers the background to the excavations, the first discoveries, and the difficulties with Arab authorities and local workmen. Also included are observations on the inhabitants, culture and history of the region.

Mexican Archaeology
  • An Introduction to the Archaeology of the Mexican and Mayan Civilizations of Pre-Spanish America
  • Thomas Athol Joyce
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    31 October 2013
  • An anthropologist and archaeologist working for much of his life at the British Museum, Thomas Athol Joyce (1878–1942) succeeded in making American archaeology more accessible to non-specialists. Through careful analysis and presentation of the available evidence from South and Central America, he secured his reputation as an authority in this field, especially with regard to Mayan civilisation. Drawing on his wide reading of the published literature, he produced three pioneering and highly illustrated textbooks. The present work appeared in 1914 and focuses on Mexican and Mayan culture. The topics discussed include social structure and daily life, warfare, trade and architecture, as well as religious observance and mythology. Particular attention is paid to the calendar, with appendices providing the names of days and months along with a provisional dating scheme. Joyce's South American Archaeology (1912) and Central American and West Indian Archaeology (1916) are also reissued in this series.

Nineveh and its Remains
  • With an Account of a Visit to the Chaldaean Christians of Kurdistan, and the Yezidis, or Devil-Worshippers
  • Volume 2
  • Austen Henry Layard
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    31 October 2013
  • Before abandoning archaeology for politics, Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817–94) carried out major excavations in Mesopotamia between 1845 and 1851, uncovering important evidence of ancient Assyrian civilisation. Although he originally believed that Nimrud was Nineveh, he later confirmed that Kuyunjik was the location of the ancient city. First published in 1849, this two-volume work is a mixture of excavation report, ancient history, anthropology and travel writing. Layard's excitement at the extent and importance of the finds as soon as digging commenced is clearly conveyed, and he places Mesopotamian history in the context of the more familiar biblical and classical worlds. His Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon (1853) is also reissued in this series. Illustrated with reproductions of monumental sculptures, smaller finds and excavation plans, Volume 2 follows the progress of digs at a number of sites. The volume's latter part covers the history, culture and customs of the ancient Assyrians.

A History of Egypt
  • Volume 6, In the Middle Ages
  • Stanley Lane-Poole
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    03 October 2013
  • Published in six volumes between 1894 and 1905, this collection served as a valuable reference work for students and scholars of Egyptology at a time when ongoing archaeological excavations were adding significantly to the understanding of one of the world's oldest civilisations. At the forefront of this research was Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942), whose pioneering methods made Near Eastern archaeology a much more systematic and scientific discipline. Many of his other publications are also reissued in this series. Britain's first professor of Egyptology from 1892, Petrie was conscious of the fact that there was no textbook he could recommend to his students. The work of Weidemann was in German and out of date, so Petrie and his collaborators incorporated the latest theories and discoveries in this English-language resource. Volume 6 (1901), written by Stanley Lane-Poole (1854–1931), covers Arabic Egypt from 639 to 1517.

A History of Egypt
  • Volume 4, Under the Ptolemaic Dynasty
  • John Pentland Mahaffy
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    03 October 2013
  • Published in six volumes between 1894 and 1905, this collection served as a valuable reference work for students and scholars of Egyptology at a time when ongoing archaeological excavations were adding significantly to the understanding of one of the world's oldest civilisations. At the forefront of this research was Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942), whose pioneering methods made Near Eastern archaeology a much more systematic and scientific discipline. Many of his other publications are also reissued in this series. Britain's first professor of Egyptology from 1892, Petrie was conscious of the fact that there was no textbook he could recommend to his students. The work of Weidemann was in German and out of date, so Petrie and his collaborators incorporated the latest theories and discoveries in this English-language resource. Volume 4 (1899), written by John Pentland Mahaffy (1839–1919), covers the Ptolemaic dynasty, from 332 to 30 BCE.

A History of Egypt
  • Volume 5, Under Roman Rule
  • Joseph Grafton Milne
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    03 October 2013
  • Published in six volumes between 1894 and 1905, this collection served as a valuable reference work for students and scholars of Egyptology at a time when ongoing archaeological excavations were adding significantly to the understanding of one of the world's oldest civilisations. At the forefront of this research was Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942), whose pioneering methods made Near Eastern archaeology a much more systematic and scientific discipline. Many of his other publications are also reissued in this series. Britain's first professor of Egyptology from 1892, Petrie was conscious of the fact that there was no textbook he could recommend to his students. The work of Weidemann was in German and out of date, so Petrie and his collaborators incorporated the latest theories and discoveries in this English-language resource. Volume 5 (1898), written by Joseph Grafton Milne (1867–1951), covers the period of Roman rule from 30 BCE to 642 CE.

Central American and West Indian Archaeology
  • Being an Introduction to the Archaeology of the States of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the West Indies
  • Thomas Athol Joyce
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    26 September 2013
  • An anthropologist and archaeologist working for much of his life at the British Museum, Thomas Athol Joyce (1878–1942) succeeded in making American archaeology more accessible to non-specialists. Through careful analysis and presentation of the available evidence from South and Central America, he secured his reputation as an authority in this field, especially with regard to Mayan civilisation. Drawing on his wide reading of the published literature, he produced three pioneering and highly illustrated textbooks. The present work appeared in 1916 and focuses on Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the West Indies. The laws, religion, customs and daily life of the various indigenous peoples are discussed and compared, with thorough illustration and examination of a range of artefacts. Joyce intended his summary of the evidence to serve as 'a signpost for future investigators'. His South American Archaeology (1912) and Mexican Archaeology (1914) are also reissued in this series.

Koptos, Qurneh
  • William Matthew Flinders Petrie
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    19 September 2013
  • Among the leading Egyptologists of his day, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. This single-volume reissue brings together two of his well-illustrated excavation reports. The first, originally published in 1896, covers the work undertaken in 1893–4 at Koptos (modern-day Qift), a key settlement in Upper Egypt on the Nile's east bank. This includes a chapter on classical inscriptions by David George Hogarth (1862–1927). The second report, first published in 1909, discusses recent archaeological work around Qurna in the Theban necropolis, including the discovery of an intact royal burial dating from the seventeenth dynasty. The epigraphic material is addressed in a chapter by James Herbert Walker (d.1914). Petrie wrote prolifically throughout his long career, and a great many of his other publications - for both specialists and non-specialists - are also reissued in this series.

The Palace of Minos
  • Volume 5, Index Volume
  • Arthur Evans
  • Compiled by Joan Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
  • Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his work was pioneering and published in several volumes between 1921 and 1935. The index to this monumental achievement, published in 1936, was the result of a painstaking collaboration with his half-sister, Dame Joan Evans (1893–1977).

South American Archaeology
  • An Introduction to the Archaeology of the South American Continent with Special Reference to the Early History of Peru
  • Thomas Athol Joyce
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    27 June 2013
  • An anthropologist and archaeologist working for much of his life in the British Museum, Thomas Athol Joyce (1878–1942) succeeded in making American archaeology more accessible to non-specialists. Through careful analysis and presentation of the available evidence from South and Central America, he secured his reputation as an authority in this field, especially with regard to Mayan civilisation. Drawing on his wide reading of the published literature, he produced three pioneering and highly illustrated textbooks. The present work appeared in 1912 and confined itself to South America, beginning its coverage with Colombia in the north. Given the better preservation of the material culture, there is a particular focus on Peru and the Incas. The topics discussed range from burials, mummies and shrunken heads to nose ornaments, musical instruments, tattoos and weaving. Joyce's Mexican Archaeology (1914) and Central American and West Indian Archaeology (1916) are also reissued in this series.

The Palace of Minos
  • A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos
  • Volume 4, Part 1
  • Arthur Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
    First published in:
    1935
  • Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his pioneering work is painstakingly detailed in this highly illustrated multi-volume work, published between 1921 and 1935, with an index volume appearing in 1936. Part 1 of Volume 4 first appeared in 1935.

The Palace of Minos
  • A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos
  • Volume 4, Part 2
  • Arthur Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
    First published in:
    1935
  • Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his pioneering work is painstakingly detailed in this highly illustrated multi-volume work, published between 1921 and 1935, with an index volume appearing in 1936. Part 2 of Volume 4 first appeared in 1935.

A Handbook to the Palace of Minos at Knossos
  • With its Dependencies
  • J. D. S. Pendlebury
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    25 September 2014
    First published in:
    1933
  • Sir Arthur Evans's excavation at the Cretan site of Knossos from 1900 onwards uncovered a previously unknown civilization. His enthusiastic (though controversial) reconstructions of the site and its fresco decorations made it an attractive destination for travellers and tourists, and Evans thought a simple guidebook for visitors would be desirable alongside his own multi-volume work, The Palace of Minos (also reissued in this series). This was published in 1933 by John Pendlebury (1904–41), a brilliant young archaeologist later killed by German troops during the invasion of Crete in 1941. With a foreword by Evans, the handbook is in two parts: an architectural history of the Palace of Minos, and a guide to the site, with a note of the time needed to explore each building, maps showing the best trail to be followed, plans, and detailed descriptions. The book continues to be of value to both archaeologists and tourists.

The Palace of Minos
  • A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos
  • Volume 3
  • Arthur Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
    First published in:
    1930
  • Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his pioneering work is painstakingly detailed in this highly illustrated multi-volume work, published between 1921 and 1935, with an index volume appearing in 1936. Volume 3 first appeared in 1930.

On Alexander's Track to the Indus
  • Personal Narrative of Explorations on the North-West Frontier of India Carried Out under the Orders of H.M. Indian Government
  • M. Aurel Stein
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    06 November 2014
    First published in:
    1929
  • The Hungarian-born archaeologist Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943) is probably best remembered today for his explorations in Chinese Turkestan, and especially his discovery of the Buddhist treasure of Dunhuang, described in his earlier works, Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan and Ruins of Desert Cathay (also reissued in this series). Stein was equally interested in the territory north-west of the North-West Frontier, and in this highly illustrated 1929 work he describes an expedition to survey the route of Alexander the Great's invasion of India in 326 BCE. Having long been intrigued by 'that comparatively small area to the west of the Indus which Alexander's march of conquest towards India for a brief span of time illuminates as it were with the light of a meteor', and by archaeological remains showing a blend of Hellenistic and Buddhist art, Stein offers a fascinating account of an ancient clash of civilisations.

A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome
  • Samuel Ball Platner
  • Edited by Thomas Ashby
  • Published online:
    05 September 2015
    Print publication:
    21 May 2015
    First published in:
    1929
  • This useful topographical dictionary was compiled by Samuel Ball Platner (1863–1921) of Western Reserve University in collaboration with Thomas Ashby (1874–1931), the third director of the British School of Archaeology at Rome. Sadly, Platner died before the work was completed, and Ashby eventually published it in 1929. The bulk of the work is an alphabetical list of the buildings, streets and geographical features in ancient Rome mentioned by ancient authors and/or discovered by more recent exploration and excavation of the ruins, with details about literary and historical references, and about the original and any surviving structure. There is also a chronological index to those monuments and other buildings that are dateable, and a large map (downloadable from the web at www.cambridge.org/9781108083249). With listings from 'Acca Larentia' to 'Zater(…nses)', the work is an invaluable tool in the exploration of Rome, whether by the scholar, student, or visitor.

The Palace of Minos
  • A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos
  • Volume 2, Part 1
  • Arthur Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
    First published in:
    1928
  • Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his pioneering work is painstakingly detailed in this highly illustrated multi-volume work, published between 1921 and 1935, with an index volume appearing in 1936. Part 1 of Volume 2 first appeared in 1928.

The Palace of Minos
  • A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos
  • Volume 2, Part 2
  • Arthur Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
    First published in:
    1928
  • Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his pioneering work is painstakingly detailed in this highly illustrated multi-volume work, published between 1921 and 1935, with an index volume appearing in 1936. Part 2 of Volume 2 first appeared in 1928.

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