July 2002 Issue
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Book Feature: The cosmic world of archaeology, astronomy and alignments The summer solstice has been and gone and those who congregated at Stonehenge have now departed. Although most people know that sites such as Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain, or 'Woodhenge' at Cahokia, Illinois are thought to have had some connection with astronomy, alignments and the solstices, they are probably not aware of the serious archaeological and scientific research that lies behind such claims. There are many organisations, journals and schools of research that promote and develop studies in archaeoastronomy but if you are looking for something less technical and more easily digested, then we can make a number of book recommendations. | ||||||||
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Book Feature: Zeugma ... More than just a pretty face? Recent multinationally-funded rescue excavations at the site of Zeugma, a Hellenistic and Roman outpost town which was located at a good crossing-point on the Euphrates river, and which is now partially inundated as a result of the construction of the Birecik dam, briefly focused world attention on the rich archaeology of Turkey. The first in what are sure to be many new books about the site (and its fabulous mosaics) have begun to appear, including two beautifully illustrated paperbacks from a Turkish publisher, Archaeology and Art Publications (Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayinlari). If you are interested in the archaeology of Turkey, and have not come across Archaeology and Art Publications before, you should definitely check out the other titles we stock. | ||||||||
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Of all the new books that have passed over the desks of the Oxbow staff this month, these, for whatever reason, are the ones that grabbed their attention.
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| INTERVIEWS | ||||||||
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Meet the author: Richard Bradley Last week Richard Bradley agreed to an "electronic interview", and to answer a few questions about his motivation for writing The Past in Prehistoric Societies In this, his latest book, Richard explores how people in the past have formed a sense of their past, and how, in the absence of written records, monuments and material objects can reflect and represent people's memories. Richard Bradley is Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading where he teaches prehistory. His fieldwork has centred on prehistoric settlements, monuments, and landscapes in England, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Portugal. | ||||||||
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Meet the publisher: Al Bertrand of Blackwell High above the rooftops of Oxford, Al Bertrand is building a world-class Classical Studies list. Armed with our Polaroid camera we tracked down the Commissioning Editor at Blackwell Publishing and spoke about his plans for the rapidly growing publishing program. | ||||||||
Exhibition: Queen of Sheba: Treasures from Ancient Yemen
For someone who gets only a brief mention in the Old Testament, the Queen of Sheba has attracted an enormous amount of interest in many cultures around the world. This mysterious and elusive figure has exerted a powerful hold over the imagination and has variously been portrayed as a fabulously rich queen and wise ruler, a powerful and seductive temptress and a devil in disguise with hairy legs and cloven feet. But did she really exist? An exhibition currently on at the British Museum (9th June - 13th October), Queen of Sheba: Treasures from Ancient Yemen, deals with both the legend of the Queen of Sheba and real evidence for the culture and society of her Kingdom, Saba'.
Conference: The International Medieval Congress is imminent!
The International Medieval Congress 2002 is approaching fast. It will be held at the University of Leeds on the 8th-11th July. Oxbow attends this huge annual medieval conference every year; we mount displays for numerous publishers and in addition have a wide range of our own stock, and lots and lots of bargains! This year we are displaying for Hambledon and London, Sutton Publishing, a number of American university presses including Johns Hopkins, Michigan, Minnesota, California, Columbia, Penn State and Pennsylvania, as well as Liverpool University Press, The British Library, British Museum Press, Broadview Press, Windgather, CBA and more!
With such a myriad of books on the Middle Ages, we don't always have everything ... plus books can sell out fast at Leeds. If there is a book you particularly want to buy at Leeds, do let us know - we can do our best to bring it and reserve it for you. Act fast though - there is only a week to go!
Conference: The EAA is heading for Thessaloniki
The 8th annual meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists is coming up in September 2002, and its not too late to make plans to attend. It will take place over 6 days in Thessaloniki, the multi-ethnic capital of Northern Greece and a major centre of archaeological and cultural interest. If the exiting range of academic sessions, or the nearby archaeological and historical sites (such as Vergina, Dion, Philippi, Neolithic Sesklo and Dimini, and the Mount Athos monasteries) are not enough to tempt you to come, there are always the spectacular beaches of the beautiful Chalkidiki peninsula.
Field School: Silchester
The Archaeology Department of Reading University begins the sixth season of its research and training excavation at Silchester in Hampshire on July 8th. The dig is focused on Insula IX of the Roman town, and this season the excavators will be looking at the early Roman layout of this part of the town and trying to understand the nature of the Iron Age legacy. Previous seasons have uncovered important evidence for the late Roman period and earlier 2nd century buildings beneath. "The excavation is very much focusing on life in towns, so a study of all the environmental evidence, the artefacts etc is paramount." The history of the site is certainly a complex one and a summary of the previous seasons and details about the site can be found on the Silchester website at www.silchester.rdg.ac.uk.
The dig runs from July 8 until August 18, and if you live in the area we strongly recommend a trip to see the dig in progress. (Please note that Fridays are their day off.). A visit to the Reading Museum and the Silchester Collection there will greatly add to any site visit. Also, they have a National Archaeology Day on Saturday July 10th (aimed more at Young Archaeologists) and 2 Open Days - on Saturday July 27 and Saturday August 10. For those of you that want a bit more 'hands on' experience, there are still places available on the Field School - details can be obtained from the Assistant Director, Amanda Clarke at a.s.clarke@reading.ac.uk and from the Silchester website.
On TV: New documentary about Michael Ventris
We have heard a rumour that a new documentary about Michael Ventris will be showing on the United Kindgom's BBC Four channel on the 22nd of July. Ventris was well known for his breakthrough decipherment in 1952 of the early Greek script, Linear B. This documentary follows close on the heels of the publication of a new biography of Ventris, "The Man Who Deciphered Linear B" by Andrew Robinson. For more information about this book, check out our recent Book Feature on "Code-breaking: from Linear B to Hieroglyphics"
Update: The producer has confirmed that the programme will be airing on BBC Four at 21:30 on the 22nd of July. The title is "A Very English Genius: How Michael Ventris Cracked Linear B". It is basically a biography of Michael Ventris and explores the man himself as much as the decipherment. Interviewees include Dr John Bennet, Andrew Robinson, Emmett Bennett Jr, Tessa Ventris, Professor Tom Palaima, and Oliver Cox.
New Releases
Oxbow is happy to announce that the first volume of the Journal of Wetland Archaeology, a brand new international journal dedicated purely to wetland archaeology, is hot off the press.
The twice-yearly journal is being published on behalf of the Wetland Archaeological Research
Project (WARP) and Exeter Centre for Wetland Research, and is being edited by a team at Exeter
with the support of an international advisory board. It will present original and innovative
research papers, short reports, overviews and interpretive studies on all aspects of wetland
archaeology and its role within the wider context of archaeological research. The Journal's
coverage includes scientific and methodological aspects, geoprospection, environmental
reconstruction, wetland hydrology, cultural aspects of wetland archaeology, as well as
conservation, site management, legislation and site protection.
Read more here...