eBooks de Arqueología, página 10 de 20

This third volume in the series is devoted to presenting and interpreting the metallurgical evidence from Ban Chiang, northeast Thailand, in the broader regional context. Because the production of metal artifacts must engage numerous communities in order to acquire and process the raw materials and then create and distribute products, understanding metals in past societies requires a regional perspective. This is the first book to compile, summarize, and synthesize the English-language copper production and exchange evidence available so far from Thailand and Laos in a thorough and systematic manner. Chapters by Vincent C. Pigott and Thomas O. Pryce examine in detail the mining and smelting of copper in several sites, and the lead-isotope evidence for the sourcing of artifacts found in two of the consumption sites included in the study. Another chapter compiles the metal consumption evidence, including results of technical studies on prehistoric metals recovered from more than 35 sites excavated in central and northeast Thailand. This compilation demonstrates important regional variation in chaOEnes opEratoires, allowing explication and synthesis of the technological traditions found in this region during prehistory. The review and compilation sheds new light on the social and economic context for the adoption and development of metallurgy in this part of the world. One key insight is that Thailand presents a case for a "community-driven bronze age," where the choices of peaceful local communities, not elites or centralized political entities, shaped how metal technological systems were implemented in this region. This fresh perspective on the role of metallurgy in ancient societies contributes to an expanded global understanding of how humans have engaged metal technologies, contributing to debunking the conventional paradigm that emphasized a top-down view and a standardized metallurgical sequence, a paradigm that has dominated archeometallurgical studies for the last century or more.

A hill dominating the Nemea Valley, Tsoungiza is located only 10 kilometers northwest of the citadel of Mycenae. Excavations there have uncovered the remains of a Late Helladic settlement that stood at its southern end. This volume presents the results of these investigations with an unprecedented study of a small settlements economy and society in the Mycenaean period. Through an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates a wide variety of general and specialist studies, the authors demonstrate how agricultural production, craft activities, and ceremonial practices integrated the inhabitants of Tsoungiza into a regional exchange system within the Bronze Age world. The volume includes contributions by P. Acheson, S. E. Allen, K. M. Forste, P. Halstead, S. M. A. Hoffmann, A. Karabatsoli, K. Kaza-Papageorgiou, B. Lis, R. Mersereau, H. Mommsen, J. B. Rutter, T. Theodoropoulou, and J. E. Tomlinson.

Between 1931 and 1939, central Athens was transformed by the expropriation and demolition of the Vrysaki neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis. In these few years, more than 5,000 inhabitants were displaced and 348 properties were torn down so that the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) could excavate the ancient Agora; the scale of the project and the degree to which it was documented make this a unique episode in the history of Greek archaeology. Using materials from the ASCSA Archives and a large collection of photographs from the 1930s, this volume details the history of the negotiations, the expropriations, and, most importantly, the Vrysaki neighborhood itself. Illustrating its streets, shops, houses, names, and faces, the author provides a vivid recreation of the community that was Vrysaki.

The iconography of Late Bronze Age wall paintings is presented in their social context within the Cycladic island of Kea and the wider Aegean world. Town, land, and seascapes illustrate the community of this harbor. This book is lavishly illustrated with many color drawings, visualizations, and photographs.

This book brings together for the first time scholars working on the Bronze Age settlement patterns and material culture of the southern Ierapetra Isthmus, a region that actively participated in the coastal and maritime trade networks of East Crete. During the past few decades, while various archaeological projects focused on the northern isthmus, the Ierapetra area remained largely neglected and unknown, a terra incognita. Yet, new excavations at Gaidourophas, Anatoli Stavromenos, Chryssi Island, Bramiana, and the ongoing research at the site of Myrtos Pyrgos are showing that the coastal area of Ierapetra was a vibrant and thriving settlement landscape during the Bronze Age. Far from being simply on the periphery of the major Minoan centers, the southern Ierapetra Isthmus played important roles in the cultural dynamics of Crete. Aiming to be the first building block in the development of an archaeological understanding of the region of the southern Ierapetra Isthmus, this book presents the status of the discipline and indicates future research trajectories.

This volume brings together scholars in religion, archaeology, philology, and history to explore case studies and theoretical models of converging religions. The twenty-four essays offered in this volume, which derive from Hittite, Cilician, Lydian, Phoenician, Greek, and Roman cultural settings, focus on encounters at the boundaries of cultures, landscapes, chronologies, social class and status, the imaginary, and the materially operative. Broad patterns ultimately emerge that reach across these boundaries, and suggest the state of the question on the study of convergence, and the potential fruitfulness for comparative and interdisciplinary studies as models continue to evolve.

In the compelling anthology A Burial Cave in Baja California, editors William C. Massey and Carolyn M. Osborne have curated a profound exploration of the archaeological and anthropological discoveries nestled within the landscapes of Baja California. The collection seamlessly weaves together diverse literary styles, from detailed field reports to reflective essays and contextual analyses. The narratives within address fundamental themes such as cultural practices, mortuary rituals, and the intersection of history and prehistory, offering readers a lens through which to view the intricate tapestry of Baja Californias ancient societies. In particular, several standout pieces probe the enigmatic burial customs, inviting intrigue and deep contemplation, and serve as a testament to the enduring human fascination with life, death, and memory. The contributing authors, guided by Massey and Osbornes scholarly vision, bring forth a rich tapestry of backgrounds, each augmenting the anthologys theme with their unique insights and expertise. Together, their writings reflect a comprehensive investigation aligned with cultural and historical movements of archaeological introspection and cultural reclamation. This assembly of voices coalesces to form a vibrant dialogue, transcending academic disciplines and fostering an enriched understanding of the indigenous cultures that once thrived in this region, contributing significantly to the broader discourse of historical anthropology. A Burial Cave in Baja California is an invaluable resource for readers eager to delve into the multiplicity of perspectives and insights contained within a single, cohesive volume. The collection promises not just an academic journey through time, but also an opportunity for personal reflection on the myriad ways cultures grapple with mortality and legacy. Recommended for its educational value and intellectual breadth, it serves as a profound dialogic platform for engaging with past cultures, encouraging an active and informed participation in the ever-evolving field of archaeological study.

Ancient Egyptian temple walls expressed royal and political ideologies, reflected the ancient Egyptian secular and spiritual world order, supplied a medium for the reenactments of assorted myths, and implied a metaphor for the universe. The Temple of Hibis is one of the most important temples from Late Period Egypt. Despite the conventional overall architecture plan of the temple, it exhibits numerous particularities. While the more prominent parts of the temple, such as the sanctuary, have been studied by numerous scholars, in other areas the decoration schemes remain largely unexplained. This book focuses on the decorative schemes of several chapels in the earlier part of the temple, chapels that were either established and/or were decorated during the first Persian Period (525-404 BCE). These chapels were located around the main sanctuary A, but have rarely been the subject of scholarly discussions. It concentrates on a few chapels of the Temple of Hibis: chapels F and G to the south of sanctuary A on the first level of the temple and all the decorated chapels, E1, E2, H1, and H2, on the second level of the temple. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the scenes and their basic layout and a complete translation of the accompanying texts. A more in-depth analysis regarding both text and image follows in the commentary. It includes the analysis of the different aspects of the gods, their origins, and the development of their cults that are significant to the scenes and to each other. Also discussed are their coherence, any aspects that are especially emphasized, and any other information that could be gleaned from the whole scene. The analysis tries to detail the specific composition that makes up the mosaic of the picture, wall, or room. Attention is paid to both the scenic arrangement and the hieroglyphic inscriptions, as the interpretation of one would be meaningless without the other. Attention is given to investigating the general function of the different rooms by means of their decoration and by identifying the patterns or important themes generated by the layout of the scenes. The results are summarized in the last chapter. A number of line drawings have been inserted into the text beside a described scene as an aid to the reader.

The White Monastery in Upper Egypt and its two federated communities are among the largest, most prosperous and longest-lived loci of Coptic Christianity. Founded in the fourth century and best known for its zealous and prolific third abbot, Shenoute of Atripe, these monasteries have survived from their foundation in the golden age of Egyptian Christianity until today. At its peak in the fifth to the eighth centuries, the White Monastery federation was a hive of industry, densely populated and prosperous. It was a vibrant community that engaged with extra-mural communities by means of intellectual, spiritual and economic exchange. It was an important landowner and a powerhouse of the regional economy. It was a spiritual beacon imbued with the presence of some of Christendoms most famous saints, and it was home to a number of ordinary and extraordinary men and women, who lived, worked, prayed and died within its walls. This new study is an attempt to write the biography of the White Monastery federation, to reconstruct its longue duree - through archaeological and textual sources - and to assess its place within the world of Late Antiquity.

The sixth edition of The Knossos Tablets brings for now to completion nearly 120 years of the study of the texts of the Linear B inscriptions from the preeminent Cretan palatial site of the late Minoan Bronze Age. Based on his career-long mastery of the many scholarly tools needed to interpret the contents and historical meaning of Mycenaean Greek clay tablet inscriptions, Jose L. Melena, with assistance on find-spots from Richard Firth and a check of the accuracy of each and every text by an editorial team of the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory, offers here definitive readings of these archaeologically, linguistically and historically important records. The book presents accurate information on tablet joins, find-spots, assignments of texts to scribes, sets of texts identified by subject matter and administrative purpose, and conjectural readings of partially preserved texts. The systems of reference to tablets by inventory numbers and to coherent sets of tablets by alphabetic prefixes have been streamlined. Helpful appendices make clear the classification of series and sets, tablet find locations, and the history of reconstruction of tablets through fragment joins. The volume closes with an up-to-date overall ground plan and close-up sector plans of the Palace of Minos at Knossos keyed to tablet find-spots.

This volume is one of the most important works on ancient Athens in the last fifty years. The focus is on the early city, from the end of the Bronze Age--ca. 1200 BCE--to the Archaic period, when Athens became the largest city of the Classical period, only to be destroyed by the Persians in 480/479 BCE. From a systematic study of all the excavation reports and surveys in central Athens, the author has synthesized a detailed diachronic overview of the city from the Submycenaean period through the Archaic. It is a treasure trove of information for archaeologists who work in this period. Of great value as well are the detailed maps included, which present features of ancient settlements and cemeteries, the repositories of the human physical record. Over eighty additional large-scale, interactive maps are available online to complement the book.

The foundation of archaeometallurgy is the study of excavated assemblages of metals and related remains. This volume presents in detail how the metals and such remains as crucibles excavated from four sites in northeast Thailand have been studied to understand the place of metal objects and technology in the ancient past of this region. In addition to typological examination, hundreds of technical analyses reveal the technological capabilities, preferences, and styles of metal artifact manufacturers in this part of Thailand. Detailed examination of contexts of recovery of metal remains employing a "life history" approach indicates that metal objects in those societies were used primarily in daily life and, only occasionally, as grave goods. The most surprising find is that casting of copper-base artifacts to final form took place at all these village sites during the metal age period, indicating a decentralized final production stage that may prove to be unusual for metal age societies. These insights are made possible by applying the methods and theories introduced in the first volume of the suite of volumes that study the metal remains from Ban Chiang in regional contest.

Even though Dorothy Thompson excavated the Agora Bone Well in 1938, the well and its remarkable finds have never been fully studied until now. Located outside the northwest corner of the Athenian Agora and dating to the second quarter of the 2nd century B.C., the well contained the remains of roughly 460 newborn infants, as well as a few older individuals. Also found in the well were the bones of over 150 dogs and an assortment of other animals, plus various artifacts, including an intriguing herm (treated here by Andrew Stewart) and an ivory chape. In addition to a thorough examination of the contents of the well, the authors provide a thoughtful analysis of the neighborhood in which the well was located and carefully compare the deposit with similar accumulations found elsewhere in the Mediterranean. The product of close cooperation between archaeological, palaeoanthropological, and faunal scholars, this interdisciplinary work will be of interest to a large audience across a variety of fields.

This is the first volume on the Late Minoan III necropolis of Armenoi in western Crete. It sets the scene, introduces the site and its topography, and offers the results of site surveys and their finds. A chapter on the Linear B discovery from the necropolis is also included. The necropolis is the most important and extensive, and the only intact, cemetery that dates to Late Bronze Age III on Crete. This publication will augment our knowledge of Minoan burial practices, craft production, and religion. It will elucidate Minoans as a people: what they ate and drank, how they lived their lives, what diseases caused them suffering, and how they died.

This is the first volume on the Late Minoan IIIC settlement at Chalasmenos, located near Ierapetra in eastern Crete. The site was excavated (1992-2014), initially as part of a Greek-American project under the direction of Metaxia Tsipopoulou and the late William Coulson. House A.2 is a two-room structure on the southwestern edge of the site. The excavation and stratigraphy, architecture, pottery, small finds, and faunal material from the building are presented. The house was used for domestic purposes, serving as the home of an elite (or prospective elite) family, but it also was a meeting and dining place on certain occasions.

The Great Maya center of Tikal, in Guatemala, is famous for its well-preserved architecture. This book presents descriptions of nine structures that line the Plaza of the Seven Temples, which sits immediately west of the South Acropolis of Central Tikal. These structures were surveyed with little or no excavation as part of the Tikal Project Standing Architecture Survey. This report is the primary record of these structures in Tikals urban landscape, and it provides clear, precise, and usable architectural analyses for Mayanists, archaeologists, art historians, architectural historians, urbanists, and those interested in construction techniques and in the uses of Maya buildings.

In this volume, the key monuments that form the Theatral Complex, including the Theatral Circle, the Fieldstone Building with its masonry style plaster interior, the marble Doric hexastyle Dedication of Philip III and Alexander IV, the elegant Ionic Porch later attached to the western side of the Dedication, and the remains of dozens of bronze statues that originally framed the Theatral Circle, are presented in their archaeological, architectural, and historical contexts. The potential significance of the Complex within the mystery cult, both as the place that initially gave shape to the group of pilgrims undergoing initiation, and as the place where new initiates ultimately departed the Sanctuary, accords the Theatral Complex on the Eastern Hill a central place in the history of ancient Greek sacred space. Actual-state and reconstruction drawings; photographs; and a catalogue of the small finds, including pottery, lamps, terracotta figurines, coins, metal objects, inscriptions, stone objects, and glass, accompany the text.