Customer Reviews

Discovery!: Unearthing the New Treasures of Archaeology

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A work of art in and of itself, "Discovery!" illuminates the most significant archeological discoveries of the past 15 years. Many of the accounts published here are by the discovers themselves, accounts written with a general audience in mind. The editor/compiler, Brian M. Fagan, is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California<
While the text is the most important element of the book, it also contains 320 illustrations, 312 of them in full color. These expert photographs allow the reader to see and examine the artifacts that are described in such careful detail in the text.<
Thames & Hudson is a publisher that has long produced some of the most important and beautiful art books in the world. This one is literally world-ranging in its scope. The finds are from the proverbial "four corners of the Earth" and some date back into unimaginable prehistory.<
Science buffs and art lovers alike will find this book a necessary addition to their libraries. Even casual readers will find themselves captivated and enthralled.

I would have been very surprised a couple of decades ago had someone told me the pace of archaeological discovery would accelerate -- and not just technological innovation leading to better interpretation, but actual new discoveries in the field. Fagan is both a first-rate archaeologist and a thoroughly experienced author of popular works in the field. He's been doing this stuff for a long time and he's pretty good at it. But this book suffers from trying to cram too much information about too many topics into too small a space. There are sixty-two very brief essays, mostly no longer than two or three pages (including pictures), gathered into seven rather artificial sections -- ancient cities, marine research, tombs and graves, ritual and religion, etc. The authors of the essays are often the original investigators themselves -- presumably those capable of writing for the general public. There are some interesting sections, especially those on new work in the Valley of the Kings, breakthroughs in deciphering the Mayan hieroglyphs, and uncovering the colonial fort at Jamestown. There's a basic "Further Reading" list but you'll probably have to resort to Google to pursue anything you find of particular interest.

I just received the book today and although I have not yet read it, I am unbelievably impressed by the beautiful pictures. The book is filled with page after page of color pictures covering all areas of the archaeological world from Egyptian tombs and mummies to Incan mummies and the ice man of Europe. Visit Egypt, Peru, England, the Middle East, Turkey, China and many more places. Although the emphasis is on ancient archeology, more recent discoveries are included such as Jamestown, Virginia and the ironclad ships of the American Civil War. The various archeological sites are covered in 246 fascinating pages. Concise stories about each site allows the reader to get good basics for further reading. A different author writes about each site in 2-4 pages. DISCOVERY! is a great book for anyone interested in archeology and history and for someone who enjoys travel. The pictures alone make this a wonderful book and the most amazing fact of all is Amazon's very low price for such a high quality book.

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"Lost civilizations, unsolved mysteries, golden laden tombs: archaeology has always been the stuff of legend, romance, and astonishing finds. [In this book] we reveal the most remarkable discoveries made during the past 15 years [between roughly 1991 to 2006], from every corner of the world. The discoveries themselves are the authors of most of the articles--they speak directly to the reader, giving vivid first-hand accounts of the painstaking processes involved and the excitement of the moment of discovery, as well as assessing the significance of their finds. Today's archaeology has become a truly international science...And the excavators and scientists represented here are likewise from all round the globe."

The above comes from this fascinating book edited by Brian M. Fagan. He is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California and the author of many books on archaeology.

This book is divided into sections and each section is made up of articles. Each section begins with a preamble to orientate the reader to that section. I will give the title of each section and in parenthesis indicate the number of articles that make up a particular section:

1. Discoveries from the ice age (5)
2. Tombs, graves, and mummies (19)
3. Treasures of ancient art (11)
4. Lost cities (6)
5. Enigmas of ritual and religion (6)
6. Discoveries from the deep (5)
7. Scientific discoveries (10)

(Total number of articles: over 60)

The articles themselves are surprisingly well-written. Each article (most are 1 to 3 pages long) begins with an introduction. Those who wrote these articles are, in this book, called "contributors." These contributors come from all round the world, "from China and Germany, France and Italy, the United States, Britain, Egypt, Australia, and elsewhere." I counted a total of 60 contributors.

Accompanying the text of the articles are spectacular photographs with captions. These are what make this book a joy to read. I counted a total of 320 pictures, most in colour.

The photo on this book's cover (displayed above by Amazon) has the caption:

"One of the seven coffins found in the newly discovered tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings awaits detailed examination by archaeologists."

Finally, after this book's table of contents, you'll come across a list of this book's contributors (that is, the author of each article) which includes a brief biography of who each contributor is. As well, there is a world map with place names. These pages are actually important. It's not stated in this book but what you are supposed to do is that when you are about to read an article, you refer to the world map to see where exactly the article's archaeological site is located. As well, for a particular author of an article, you can check exactly who he or she is by reading their biography in the list of contributors.

For example, an article has the title "The tomb of Tutankhamun's mother? An 18TH dynasty chamber in the Valley of the Kings" by Zahi Hawass. By referring to the world map, you can see exactly where the "Valley of the Kings" is located. As well, by referring to the contributors list, you can read exactly who "Zahi Hawass" is.

In conclusion, this book gives an unprecedented look inside modern archaeology. You'll probably feel like a bona fide archaeologist after you read this book!!

(first published 2007; contributors; world map; introduction; archaeology now; 7 sections or 62 articles; main narrative 245 pages; further reading; sources of illustrations; index)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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Archaeological discoveries are usually limited to technical journals and scientific circles, but DISCOVERY offers keys to understanding to general-interest readers and public lending libraries strong in science for lay readers. This covers all the important archaeological discoveries of the last 15 years that have changed how we know the past. Many are written by the discoverers themselves, who provide first-hand accounts of their finds. A world-wide approach to some two million years of discovery is embellished by gorgeous photos - many taken at the moment of discovery - and make for an outstanding presentation recommended as a 'must' acquisition for any collection strong in science for lay readers.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The book is exactly as promised. It arrived quickly and in excellent condition. I wouldn't hesitate to order from this company again. The book itself is much more than anyone has a right to expect. Page after page excites as it informs. It's hard to sit near it without reaching for it and once reaching for it you're hooked all over again. Wow

This book contains lots of new information on recent discoveries and on-going projects that I've read about. Love the information. Lots of photos ,too.

First off, the dust jacket photo on the front is a real turn-off, so ignore it. Each chapter covers a different aspect of current archaeological study, including my favorite, looted Greek artifacts. Not every chapter will appeal to every reader, but I bet nobody can pass the great pictures and not read a snatch about it. Worth the price I paid for it.

The book has great pictures and in general one page reviews of modern discoveries in archaeology. It will keep you up to date with what's going on with the latest news in this area.

I give it 3 stars.