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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 4 of 8

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.

Tiryns
  • Der Prähistorische Palast der Könige von Tiryns, Ergebnisse der Neuesten Ausgrabungen
  • Heinrich Schliemann
  • Published online:
    05 March 2015
    Print publication:
    31 October 2010
    First published in:
    1886
  • Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890) was a businessman and self-taught archaeologist who is best known for discovering the legendary city of Troy. Inspired by his belief in the veracity of the Homeric poems, Schliemann turned his attention to uncovering other cities mentioned in the Iliad. This volume provides an account in German of his excavations in 1884–1885 at Tiryns, a major Bronze Age city and centre of Mycenaean civilisation. These revealed a palace complex at the site, which was the most complete example of its kind until Evans' excavation of Knossos: examples of Minoan art found at Tiryns were the first demonstration of Mycenaean contact with the Minoan culture of Crete. The topography and history of the site and its artefacts are described, together with detailed discussion of the palace, and a description of Schliemann's controversial excavation methods. This volume remains an important source for the historiography of archaeology.

Mycenae
  • A Narrative of Researches and Discoveries at Mycenae and Tiryns
  • Heinrich Schliemann
  • Preface by W. E. Gladstone
  • Published online:
    05 February 2015
    Print publication:
    15 July 2010
    First published in:
    1878
  • Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890) published Mycenae, an account of his archaeological excavations of the ancient Greek cities of Mycenae and Tiryns, in 1878. Schliemann's astonishing finds revealed that the cities had a historical reality outside Homeric epic. His excavations uncovered many priceless treasures, most famously the 'death mask of Agamemnon' and the shaft graves, filled with pottery, carved stones, skeletons, gold, jewellery and weaponry. He also uncovered much about the layout and architecture of the two lost cities. The volume is generously illustrated with images of artefacts, maps and charts. It is introduced by W. E. Gladstone, who gave Schliemann the political assistance necessary for the excavations to take place. Schliemann's discoveries were met with wild enthusiasm, and while today his methods of excavation are deplored and many of his conclusions thought to be ill-founded, he is rightly credited with the discovery of the lost and ancient Mycenaean civilisation.

Troy and its Remains
  • A Narrative of Researches and Discoveries Made on the Site of Ilium, and in the Trojan Plain
  • Heinrich Schliemann
  • Translated by L. Dora Schmitz
  • Edited by Philip Smith
  • Published online:
    05 January 2015
    Print publication:
    19 August 2010
    First published in:
    1875
  • Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890) was a successful businessman and self-taught archaeologist who is best known for discovering the site of the ancient city of Troy. This work in English, 'translated by the author's sanction' in 1875, describes his excavations at the ancient mound of Hissarlik in Turkey, which revealed the remains of not just one but several substantial, superimposed ancient settlements, the earliest of which dates back to 4500 BCE. Schliemann himself was convinced that he had located Troy, and the spectacular golden treasure which he unearthed made his discovery famous around the world. However, the crudeness of his excavating techniques was criticised by contemporary archaeologists, and later work on the site has led to the conclusion that the treasure is in fact from a much earlier settlement than Homeric Troy. Schliemann's achievement was nevertheless extraordinary, and this first-hand account of his discoveries makes compelling reading.

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.

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'.

The Ancient Cities of the New World
  • Being Travels and Explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857–1882
  • Désiré Charnay
  • Translated by J. Gonino, Helen S. Conant
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    22 August 2013
    First published in:
    1887
  • Beautifully illustrated throughout, this English translation of Désiré Charnay's record of his travels among the ancient cities of Mexico and Central America was first published in 1887. Born in France, Charnay (1828–1915) travelled extensively through commissions from the French government and with private patronage. He made several visits to the region between 1857 and 1886, producing in his work both a journal of his adventures and an archaeological examination of past civilisations. Beginning in Mexico, Charnay notably examines the ancient city of Tula and also the history of Yucatán, discussing aspects of Toltec and Mayan culture. He explores the ruins of Chichen Itza, Kabah and Yaxchilan (which Charnay dubbed 'Lorillard Town' after a benefactor), among many other settlements. Surveying art, pyramid architecture, ancient customs and history based on extant sources, this account was a major contribution in its field and remains of interest to scholars of Latin American archaeology.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Palace of Minos
  • A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos
  • Volume 1, The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages
  • Arthur Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    29 August 2013
    First published in:
    1921
  • 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 1 (1921) opens with a sketch of Minoan civilisation and then surveys its early history.

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.

The Mycenaean Tree and Pillar Cult and its Mediterranean Relations
  • With Illustrations from Recent Cretan Finds
  • Arthur John Evans
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    27 June 2013
    First published in:
    1901
  • Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), the pioneer of ancient Cretan archaeology, most famously excavated the ruins of Knossos and uncovered the remains of its Bronze Age Minoan civilisation (as detailed in The Palace of Minos at Knossos, also reissued in this series). In this highly illustrated work, first published in 1901, Evans surveys the recent archaeological evidence from his dig at Knossos as well as from other locations around the Mediterranean. He describes a variety of religious objects and symbols, especially those concerned with sacred stones, pillars and trees, which Evans argues are characteristic of religious worship in the Mycenaean period. He considers in particular the importance of the Cretan double-axe symbol, the labrys, its close link with depictions of bulls and its association with the labyrinth of Knossos. Elsewhere he examines the symbolism of the Lion Gate at Mycenae and finds parallels with similar artefacts found in Crete and Egypt.

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.

Page 4 of 8