The history of archaeology

Author: Meryl Kennedy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Everything has its origin. What is today stems from what was once, and the roots of the present lie in the past. However, many of the pasts that might explain why things are the way they are today are buried deep underground or hidden behind mysterious objects. This has given rise to a profession dedicated to uncovering secrets—some called archaeologists. From this perspective, the experts who travel back in time and immerse themselves in the silent world of the past are not far from our lives. It is through their gradual deciphering of historical information that a increasingly vivid map of the genetic blueprint of human culture is pieced together. Thanks to them, we are able to establish reasonable connections and resonances between ourselves and our ancestors, and we learn to evaluate modern progress with caution against the backdrop of the astonishing ancient civilizations that we can never fully comprehend. As humans, as rational beings, as a life form that must understand its cultural destiny, we are inevitably unable to remain indifferent to archaeology and its history. Some say that one side of archaeology is dull and tedious, while the other is romantic and mysterious. But no matter how you put it, a good archaeological story is always fascinating, because no other discipline is as filled with prolonged enigmas, sudden glories, and the magic of discovery as archaeology. Moreover, the old man of history often prefers to have his silent mysteries solved unintentionally, so the history of archaeology cannot but be filled with mysteries, always surprising. Readers should not expect this book to provide scholastic knowledge or timelines, nor should they expect it to be a complete "history of archaeology." In fact, the scope of this book is limited only to a part of the history of archaeology—the history of archaeology in human civilization. And precisely because every story in this book is related to human progress and creativity, its content is bound to be challenging and captivating. From the mammoth bone houses of Kyiv to Hadrian's Wall in northern England, from the completely vanished warrior nation of the Hittites to the enigmatic desert hermits of the Copts, from the sunken and resurrected treasure ships to the talking garbage—this book blends historical facts with legends, intertwining plots and deeds to create great reading appeal.