Jade Dragon

by Sarah Milledge Nelson

This teaching novel is an archaeological suspense story set in northeast China at a site that is called the Goddess Temple. Clara, protagonist of Nelson‘s Spirit Bird Journey, begins work at an excavation at the Temple, only to discover the problems of contemporary looting, government meddling, and excavation interpersonal dynamics. Nelson‘s story also describes the lifeways of the Neolithic people who used the temple thousands of years ago their economy, social structure, gender relations, and religious rituals through the eyes of a young woman living there. Written by a leading American archaeologist specializing in these topics, this volume is both a good read and good archaeology. An ideal starting point to introduce archaeology to college students.

222 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the 2nd book in the Clara Alden series which was written by archaeologist and professor Sarah Milledge Nelson. If you like a little archaeological adventure this a good story. Not high action but interesting. I liked following the story of Jade who is the main character in the Neolithic parts of the book. Even though this is part of a series, the book can stand on it's own. However, you may want to check out the first book of this series - Spirit Bird Journey.