Greece: An Oxford Archaeological Guide

by Christopher Mee, Antony Spawforth

Greece, with all its temples, cities, and sanctuaries created by Europe's most formative ancient civilization, is a must-see for the archaeological traveler. This valuable new addition to the acclaimed Oxford Archaeological Guides series provides coverage of all the main archaeological sites in Greece, ranging from prehistory to the sixth century AD. The individual sites are arranged by region, and include Philip's Tomb at Vergina, the Palace complex at Mycenae, the Temples of the Acropolis, the Hellenistic city of the Messene, and the Roman colony of Corinth. Also included in the book are 'partner factor' ratings that rank the most worthwhile sites for travelers to visit during their stay. An up-to-date introduction surveys Greece's landscape, history, and archaeology from the Neolithic period to the end of antiquity, and places the sites in their cultural context. Finally, there is a chronology for reference and a glossary of essential terms.

Genres: Archaeology, Greece

464 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2001

Reviews

[Fernando Cheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great replacement for tour guides while visiting major sites in Greece.

[Susan]

With this guide in pocket, I made my way from Delphi via Corinth to Olympia all alone. If you don't speak or read Greek, it's essential that you have a guide like this to explain all the bits of marble along the way. It's particularly useful in off-the-beaten-path small towns such as Nemea, Thebes, Argos, Tiryns, etc.

If you don't get this book before you leave home, good luck trying to find someone who speaks English well enough to point out where Hercules killed the Lion or the Cyclops built gigantic defensive walls.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I required our study abroad students to read this book beforehand about the sites we visited, such as Athens, Delphi, Mycenae, and more. Each location in the book discusses the special features, history, and description of the sites, which was extremely helpful when we visited the sites. It's a good reference book, which we'll use again and again, but it is not the type of book the reader will want to read from cover to cover.