The Goddess and the Bull: Catalhoyuk: An Archaeological Journey to the Dawn of Civilization - Hardcover

Balter, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0743243609 ISBN 13: 9780743243605

Publisher: Free Press, 2004

Synopsis

Discovered in 1958 by James Mellaart, Çatalhöyuek, located on the Konya Plain in Turkey, is an archaeological site of tremendous importance. Today, under the direction of Ian Hodder, excavations continues unabated. This multi-faceted biography tells the story of Çatalhöyuek from a variety of angles. It tells the story of the discovery of the site, of those that directed excavations and the team of diggers and experts working there, as well as their relationships, rivalries and personal aims. However, the book also provides insights into the process of archaeology, discussing what the findings of the Neolithic `Dawn of Civilization'. This behind-the-scenes look at the site and the people drawn to it each season is both engaging and informative, much like the site itself. `A revealing narrative of people and ideas at the working face of archaeology' - Colin Renfrew.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

"Michael Balter takes us on a fascinating journey through the excavations at one of the world's great archaeological sites. He provides an engrossing chronicle of one of the world's earliest farming villages and of the personalities and thoughts of the archaeologists engaged in the research -- the human side of archaeology." -- Brian Fagan, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara

"A superb biography of a super archaeological site! Balter also demonstrates how this work is radically transforming what all archaeologists think and do. His carefully researched and compellingly written narrative, which makes readers feel as if they are there, will be read with pleasure and interest by professional archaeologists and all who are interested in archaeology. Balter's skillful weaving together of archaeological findings, the personalities and ambitions of a broad cast of archaeologists, and the evolution of archaeological thought makes this book a classic." -- Bruce Trigger, James McGill Professor, Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal

"Çatalhöyük is not only an archaeological site of tremendous importance, it is one with a dramatic history -- both ancient and modern -- that Balter tells with verve and an abundance of personal detail. His book is foremost about a site that offers unique insights into the origins of our own civilization; but at the same time it is an evocative portrayal of the process of archaeology itself." -- Ian Tattersall, Curator, Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History

"An engagingly personal account of one of the most ambitious excavation projects currently in progress, undertaken at one of the world's great archaeological sites; a revealing narrative of people and ideas at the working face of archaeology." -- Colin Renfrew, Professor Emeritus, University of Cambridge

"Erudite and meticulously researched, The Goddess and the Bull takes us behind the scenes of archaeology on the world stage, revealing the pitched political battles, the sometimes battered egos, and the stubborn quest for knowledge at one of the world's most important archaeological sites, Çatalhöyük." -- Heather Pringle, author of The Mummy Congress

From the Back Cover

Thousands of years before the pyramids were built in Egypt, a great civilization arose on the Anatolian plains. The Goddess and the Bull details the dramatic quest by archaeologists to unearth the buried secrets of this huge, spectacularly well-preserved early farming settlement.

Here lie the origins of modern society—the dawn of art, architecture, religion, the nuclear family—even the first tangible evidence of human self-awareness, the world’s oldest mirrors. Some archaeologists have claimed that a Mother Goddess was first worshipped at Çatalhöyük, which is now a site of pilgrimage for Goddess worshippers from all over the world. The excavations here have unearthed the seeds of the Neolithic Revolution, when prehistoric humans first abandoned the hunter-gatherer life they had known for millions of years, invented farming, and began living in houses and communities.

Michael Balter, the excavation’s official "biographer," brings readers behind the scenes, providing the first inside look at the remarkable site and its history of scandal and thrilling scientific discovery. He tells the human story of two colorful men: British archaeologist James Mellaart, who discovered Çatalhöyük in 1958 only to be banned from working at the site forever after a fabulous Bronze Age treasure he had found earlier disappeared without a trace; and Ian Hodder, a path-breaking archaeological rebel, who reinvented the way archaeology is practiced and reopened the excavation after it lay dormant for three decades. Today Hodder leads an international team of more than one hundred archeologists who continue to probe the site’s ancient secrets.

Balter pulls the curtain on romantic notions about archaeology to reveal the true story behind modern excavations—the thrill of history-making scientific discovery as well as the crushing disappointments, the community and friendship, the love affairs, and the often bitter rivalries between warring camps of archaeologists. Along the way, Balter describes the cutting-edge advances in archaeological science that have allowed the team at Çatalhöyük to illuminate the central questions of human existence.

About this edition

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0743243609
• ISBN 13: 9780743243605
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416