Quest for the Past: Great Discoveries in Archaeology - Softcover

Fagan, Brian M.

3.7

43 ratings by Goodreads

9780881337914: Quest for the Past: Great Discoveries in Archaeology

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0881337919 ISBN 13: 9780881337914

Publisher: Waveland Pr Inc, 1994

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The highpoints in archaeology! This wonderfully engaging volume tells the story of some well-known archaeologists and some remarkable excavations. In the process, it throws light on some of the ways in which the founders of archaeology unearthed early civilizations, probed the origins of humankind, and explored the history of non-Western societies. Quest for the Past ranges widely over the world of archaeology, detailing great discoveries as diverse as the excavation of 2-million-year-old Hominids, long-forgotten Native American settlements, and spectacular ancient civilizations, describing the sites and discoveries in the context of their finders' times. Each essay serves as an independent description of some of the challenges faced and discoveries made both by adventurous pioneers like Austen Henry Layard and trained scientists like Rene Millon and Gertrude Caton-Thompson. The volume includes important chapters on how archaeology works and on early female archaeologists.

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Review:

"A master storyteller’s expert treatment continues to serve students of the subject of archaeology at all levels of investigation. Exciting. Well illustrated. Nicely balanced. Needed humanistic and personal perspective. Fagan’s elegant writing style and compelling synthesis of the great discoveries in archaeology make this an outstanding work in the field as well as a student favorite. He throws light on some of the ways in which the founders of archaeology unearthed early civilizations, probed the origins of humankind, and explored the history of non-Western societies.

Each essay serves as an independent description of some of the challenges faced and discoveries made by adventurous pioneers like Austen Henry Layard and trained scientists like Rene Millon and Gertrude Caton-Thompson.

“Brian Fagan’s work is consistently top quality. His clear, readable yet very detailed writing style and coverage captivate my intro-level students.” Elizabeth Mathias, St. Johns University

“A great read. Fagan’s elegant writing style and compelling synthesis of the great discoveries in archaeology make the book an outstanding work in the field.” E. J. Fabyan, Vincennes University

“A great book—one that clearly adds the human dimension to introductory archaeology. It also illustrates how the historical circumstances of archaeology have changed, along with the questions we address.” George Nicholas, Simon Fraser University

From the Publisher:

Titles of related interest from Waveland Press: Kamp, Life in the Pueblo: Understanding the Past Through Archaeology (ISBN 9780881339642); Kehoe-Pleger, Archaeology: A Concise Introduction (ISBN 9781577664505); Lamberg-Karlovsky & Sabloff, Ancient Civilization: The Near East and Mesoamerica, Second Edition (ISBN 9780881338348); and Struever-Holton, Koster: Americans in Search of Their Prehistoric Past (ISBN 9781577661672).

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