Stones, Bones, and Ancient Cities - Hardcover

Robbins, Lawrence H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312044313 ISBN 13: 9780312044312

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1990

Synopsis

Describes the explorations, excavations, and triumphs of the men and women responsible for forty great archaeological discoveries--from Schliemann's Troy, to the Rosetta Stone, to Leakey's finds at Olduvai Gorge

About this title

From Library Journal

This is a fun book. Unpretentious and straight-talking, it dispenses capsules of famous archaeological events with enough enteric coating of rumor and dig lore to make them tasty. Robbins groups his capsules into seven doses: early man; cave and rock art; grave discoveries; lost cities; water sites; stone circles and astroarchaeology; and early writings decoded. Each dose gives brief, highly select, and popularly told information on major finds in the category. One might question Robbins's choices here and there (e.g., a lot about Pompeii, already overcovered). But generally the selection is good, including finds like Ophir in Zimbabwe; the Alpine lake dwellings; and the Skudelev long ships. Chronologies of sites and discovery dates are appended. Not for the scholar, this is just what it professes to be--an undergraduate Gods, Graves and Scholars (by C.W. Ceram, Knopf, 1967; Random, 1986. pap.), designed to pique the interest of the novice.
- Jo-Ann D. Suleiman, SANAD Support Technologies, Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Describing 40 of the world's most dramatic archeological discoveries, Robbins, who teaches anthropology at Michigan State University, offers a comprehensive introduction to the field. In chapters arranged by finds (i.e., art, tombs, written records, etc.), he details major archeological expeditions. Emphasizing the single-mindedness of such figures as Louis Leakey, who sought human origins in East Africa; Howard Carter and Lord Carnavon, who searched for King Tut's tomb; and Heinrich Schliemann, determined to locate Homer's Troy--all of whom pursued their beliefs in face of widespread skepticism--Robbins also points out the role of happenstance in the unearthing of many of the world's great archeological discoveries. This even-toned survey, ranging far and wide but not too deep in any one spot, will be valued by newcomers to archeology. Well-versed readers will likely be more interested in the extensive bibliography.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0312044313
• ISBN 13: 9780312044312
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 267