Books about Archaeological from Amazon.com

New archaeological treasures and finds that reshape our view of the past, recounted by the discoverers themselves.

An unprecedented look inside contemporary archaeology, Discovery! reveals the most exciting, significant, and astonishing finds from the last fifteen years. Many of the book's contributions are written by the discoverers themselves, who give firsthand accounts of their work and assess the significance. They include famous Egyptologists such as Zahi Hawass, Kent Weeks, and Alain Zivie; pioneering underwater explorers such as Franck Goddio; and leading excavators and scientists from America, Britain, China, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, and elsewhere.

Discovery! spans two million years of history, from the latest fossil discoveries that rewrite the story of human origins to wrecks of early submarines and ironclads from the American Civil War. There are revelations about the pyramids of Giza, a just-discovered royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and gold-filled burials of Assyrian queens at Nimrud, Iraq. Italy's Ice Man and spectacular Inca mummies from high in the Andes bring us face to face with people from the past, while stunning wall paintings from San Bartolo in Guatemala revolutionize our knowledge of the ancient Maya.

International in scope and totally authoritative, the book is illustrated throughout with spectacular photographs, many taken at the very moment of discovery. 295 illustrations and photographs, 290 in color..
Price: $16.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This book is an excellent choice for visitors to the Holy Land who want to take an in-depth look at the area's historical sites. Among this Oxford guide's special features are 150 site plans, maps, diagrams, and photographs; routes through the Old City of Jerusalem; a brief historical outline; and a glossary of essential terms. Oxford Archeological Guides: The Holy Land is also a useful source of practical advice on museum hours, suggested dress, travel and lodging contacts, as well as information on visiting desert locations such as the Judaean Desert and the hills of Elat.

The first half of the book covers sites in the city of Jerusalem, grouping them into areas for easy exploration. Maps accompany each site described. The second half of the book features an alphabetical listing--from Abu Ghosh to Yehiam--of key sites scattered throughout the Holy Land. Each site includes a reference to its position on the "Israel Touring Map" (available at bookstores in Israel), and especially recommended sites are starred or double-starred.

As an added bonus to this edition, more than 70 shaded sidebars offer a mini-anthology of ancient texts. "Not only do such documents illustrate the sort of material on which our historical knowledge is based, but their vividness and immediacy give a new dimension to the sites," writes author Murphy-O'Connor. --Kathryn True.
Price: $22.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Archaeological excavation in the Holy Land has exploded with the resurgence of interest in the historical roots of the biblical Israelites. Israelite Religions offers Bible students and interested lay leaders a survey of the major issues and approaches that constitute the study of ancient Israelite religion. Unique among other books on the subject, Israelite Religions takes the Bible seriously as a historical source, balancing the biblical material with relevant evidence from archaeological finds..
Price: $21.59 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The world’s greatest archaeological finds and what they tell us about lost civilizations

Renowned archaeologist Patrick Hunt brings his top ten list of ancient archaeological discoveries to life in this concise and captivating book. The Rosetta Stone, Troy, Nivenah’s Assyrian Library, King Tut’s Tomb, Machu Picchu, Pompeii, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Thera, Olduvai Gorge, and the Tomb of 10,000 Warriors—Hunt reveals the fascinating stories of these amazing discoveries and explains the ways in which they added to our knowledge of human history and permanently altered our worldview. Part travel guide to the wonders of the world and part primer on ancient world history, Ten Discoveries That Rewrote History captures the awe and excitement of finding a lost window into ancient civilization..
Price: $5.28 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The city of Rome is the largest archeological site in the world. If your idea of a good Roman holiday is uncovering the archeological mysteries of the Roman Empire, then Oxford Archeological Guides: Rome is your ideal guidebook

For such a detailed guide, this book is remarkably readable. Of the Field of Mars (Campus Martius), Claridge writes,

It is the one part of Rome which continued to be quite densely inhabited after the C9 AD, becoming the center of the late medieval and Renaissance city, and is still densely inhabited today, an extraordinary blend of past and present even for Rome. The Stock Exchange occupies a Roman temple, the boiler-rooms of the offices of the Senate are set in the ruins of Roman thermal baths, a modern theatre nestles in the shell of a Roman theatre. Many of the streets are on the lines of ancient streets, and the walls of the buildings on either side of them are often balanced directly on top of Roman walls.

Among this Oxford guide's special features are 200 site plans, maps, diagrams, and photographs; a cultural and historical overview; a chronological overview; and a glossary of essential terms. It uses star ratings to help you plan your days and divides Rome into 12 main areas: the Roman Forum, Upper Via Sacra, Palatine Hill, Imperial Forums, Campus Martius, Capitoline Hill, Circus Flaminius to Circus Maximus, Colosseum Valley and Esquiline Hill, Caelian Hill and the Via Appia, other sites, museums, and catacombs.

Shaded sidebars add anecdotal interest, covering issues such as the Seven Hills, Jupiter's Dining Room, Tomb of Bibulus, the "Province" Reliefs, Madam Lucretia, Nero's New Palace, and Gladiatorial Shows. --Kathryn True.
Price: $16.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This superb guide at last brings the work of Filippo Coarelli, one of the most widely published and best known scholars of Roman archeology and art, to a wide, English-language audience. Conveniently organized by walking tours and illustrated throughout with clear maps, drawings, and plans, Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide covers all of the city's ancient sites, and, unlike most other guides, now includes the major monuments in a large area outside Rome proper but within easy reach, such as Ostia Antica, Palestrina, Tivoli, and the many areas of interest along the ancient Roman roads. An essential resource for tourists interested in a deeper understanding of Rome's classical remains, it is also the ideal book for students and scholars approaching the ancient history of one of the world's most fascinating cities.
* Covers all the major sites including the Capitoline, the Roman Forum and the Imperial Fora, the Palatine Hill, the Valley of the Colosseum, the Esquiline, the Caelian, the Quirinal, and the Campus Martius.
* Two separate chapters discuss important clusters of sites-one on the area surrounding Circus Maximus and the other in the vicinity of the Trastevere, including the Aventine and the Vatican.
* Additional chapters cover the city walls and the aqueducts.
* Features 189 maps, drawings, and diagrams; an appendix on building materials and techniques; and an extensive bibliography..
Price: $15.65 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Nineteenth-century Istanbul thrills in this page-turner about a conspiracy to steal an ancient reliquary whose secret could change the world.

The Ottoman Empire is plagued by thefts of antiquities from mosques and churches that, within days, appear for sale in Europe. Among them is a reliquary, presumed lost for four hundred years and around which an elaborate and mysterious sect has grown.

In Istanbul, magistrate Kamil Pasha is under pressure to break the smuggling ring amid rising tensions between Christians and Muslims. He confronts a mysterious adversary who will stop at nothing to get the reliquary first. With the Balkans aflame and Kamil's personal life in upheaval, the search into the old neighborhoods where Istanbul's crime rings reside may cost Kamil not only his position but also his life.

Jenny White enters this time of distrust and turmoil, re-creating the gritty underworld of a dying empire..
Price: $7.71 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is a lively overview of the major ideas and concepts in archaeological theory..
Price: $30.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

New in the "erudite and entertaining" Archaeological mystery series.

When a silver box from the Tang Dynasty etched with an alchemical formula for immortality is stolen in Beijing, antiques dealer Lara McClintoch must risk her own mortality to recover the masterpiece..
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