A Short History of Archaeology

Ancient Peoples and Places

by Glyn Daniel

Archaeology is generally thought to have begun with the first excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii in the mid-18th century. But A SHORT HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGY begins long before that time period, with the ancient Babylonians' search for their own ancestors about 2,500 years ago. The book continues from there right up to the relatively recent discovery of the tomb of Alexander the Great's father in Northern Greece and the spectacular army of terra-cotta figures guarding the burial mound of the Chinese Emperor Huang Ti.

A SHORT HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGY goes beyond the historical highlights we commonly think of with regard to archaeological findings. This book also looks more globally at research being done in Eastern Asia (India and China, primarily) and in the Americas as well. Included is a survey of the progress of archeology as a science, not just discovery of ancient times, places, and objects--leading to crucial advances of our understanding of man's past.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Aka Dilwyn Rees

Taken from a cover from a book published in 1962:

Dr Glyn Daniel, who has been a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, since 1938, and a University Lecturer in Archaeology since 1948, was born in Pembrokeshire in 1914. Proceeding from Barry County School and University College, Cardiff, to Cambridge, he took a 'First' with distinction in archaeology and anthropology, and subsequently was awarded several prizes and studentships and took a Ph.D. in 1938. During the war he served in the R.A.F. and was mentioned in despatches while in charge of air-photo interpretation in India and S.E. Asia, as a Wing-Commander. Since the war he has held several lectureships and achieved a wide popular fame as question master in the TV game, Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? He is now a director of Anglia Television. Along with golf and squash (both of which he plays badly), travel, food, and wine (taken in France for preference), Glyn Daniel, who is married, regards his detective fiction as a hobby.

Reviews

[قدموسة كتب · Rating 5 out of 5]

لمن يهتم في تاريخ الدراسات الآثارية، يجد كنزا رهيبا من أسماء المراجع والمصادر والمعلومات المهمة

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. The information is all good, but this is really too dry. After a while it becomes just a recitation of X discovered this, Y had this theory, Z then came up with a better theory. Maybe there's nothing better could be done with the topic.

[Danny Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

In retrospective a fun book of historical thinking. In his last chapter the author wrote of French cavepaintings and his belief that they were a forgery. " in 50 years they will see it is fake". 30 years later now.
Worth reading!

[Riversue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good concise if dated history.

[albiña · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

[Mark Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic introduction to archaeology.