Paul G. BahnReseñas

One should never be satisfied with an existing scenario - true scientists constantly question and return to their earlier conclusions, to check them again. Don't rest on your laurels, because laurels rapidly wither and die.

An insightful but short summary not just of archaeology itself but its methods and theories, its different fields and subjects as well as its history and its social and political aspects and impacts. In ten chapters, Bahn goes over everything from the origins and development of archaeology, the different theories and methods that make up the archaeology field as well as aspects such as minorities and relation to the public and society.

To be quite honest, my highlighter was hard at work during my read. Bahn has managed to put together not only an educational but often humorous introduction to archaeology. Granted, I'm currently on my second year as an Archaeology major, but I did think it was successful in the task of being a short, summarised introduction while also not being simple, or one-sided. Then again, Bahn knows what he's doing by now.

I know the books in the series are written by different authors and are bound to be very different, this one really did make me excited to read more of them; and feeling like they're definitely both fun and educational.

This book exemplifies what a “very short introduction“ should be: take a complex and extensive topic & provide a comprehensive, jargon-free and illuminating overview. The author shares his passion for the topic while clearly pointing out the pitfalls & problems the field of archaeology faces. His quirky humor & clear language make reading this book a pleasure. Highly recommended.

I was sniggering and saying OMG in equal measure while reading this book. It is about all those dirty little secrets that the stuffy museums and archaeologists does not want us to know about! So interesting. These books make history come alive...

Traces is correct.... there is very little that remains & today it is just a place to sightsee what one can only imagine Hollywood once was.

I liked the premise of the book, but I seriously wanted more... definitely more photos would have helped to better complete the descriptions of what once was.

The writing was, well, not that good; the basic information & explanations were enough; however, the use of exclamations and phrases such as inferences as to what a future archaeologist or alien might think should they excavate former stages & sets were odd.

The necrology in the back was interesting: which stars died when & where many are interred, in fact there were many stars from the 70's & 80's that I had no idea died...

I'm sure there are better books on this subject, but this one is a good beginning and the necrology really was interesting.

Lots of interesting stuff, but the presentation is uneven. The authors are Paul G. Bahn, described as a “writer, translator, and broadcaster specializing in archaeology” and Jean Vertut, “the foremost photographer of European cave art.” Mr. Vertut died in 1985; the book was published in 1997. This combination leads to a large-format “coffee table” book, with a lot of photographs that seem to chosen for artistic effect rather than to illustrate points in the accompanying text.


The text is straightforward enough; Mr. Bahn goes through the history of the discovery of Pleistocene art (“portable” art – carved or engraved objects – was accepted as authentic immediately, while what Mr. Bahn calls “parietal” art – painted, carved or molded on cave walls – was dismissed as forgery for years; ironically one of the iconic examples of Pleistocene portable art, the “Venus of Brassempouy”, is now suspected to be a forgery).


Although there’s a chapter titled “A Worldwide Phenomena”, cave art is mostly confined to France, Spain, and Sicily despite the presence of apparently suitable caves in the rest of the world. Although some of the painted art was done with reed brushes or buffalo fur daubers, one of the most common methods required the artist to fill their mouth with paint and spit it on the wall (it’s noted Australian aborigines still use this method; modern archaeologists experimenting discovered they could paint a convincing bison this way in under an hour). I was interested in the amount of experimental archaeology Bahn discusses, for example – “is it possible to walk barefoot four kilometers into a cave using torches for illumination, paint a canvas, and walk back out again without running out of light” (yes). Bahn notes that the pigments used were mostly ocher and charcoal; they were often mixed with a binder (fish glue, for example) which didn’t work at all in the humid caves (but suggests there may once have been a lot of art painted on dry, outside surfaces that has been long lost).


Bahn’s discussion of the “reason” for cave art is quite interesting. With my casual acquaintance with the subject, I had assumed “hunting magic”, based on some cursory reading (the idea that drawing animals will make them easier to hunt); Bahn allows that as a possibility, noting that Australian aborigines still do that; that most of the animals displayed are game rather than predators; and that animals often seem to be depicted as if they were lying on their sides after being killed. However, he also notes that there’s often a discrepancy between the animals shown on cave walls and the bones found at surface sites in the same area. “Fertility magic” is also a possibility; drawing lots of animals in a cave will make them abundant outside (Australian aborigines still do that, too). Possibly relevant is the fact that animals are often drawn or carved overlapping, suggesting that the act of depiction was more important than the result. Recent (at least, as of the 1997 publication date) studies show some interesting things; certain animals (horses and deer) are much more likely to be drawn on convex surfaces, while others (bison and aurochs) are much more likely to appear on concave surfaces. Bahn devotes a lot of time to French investigators who decided that there was a definite pattern to art, with certain animals shown in certain parts of caves (entryway, left passages, right passages, deep inside, etc.) with the idea that the viewer was supposed to walk by in particular sequence; he’s understandable skeptical, as the caves are complicated enough that what constituted (for example) a “left passage” could be adjusted to fit the theory.


The caves also contain non-representative paintings – patterns of dots, dashes, squares, circles, etc. There’s limited speculation on what these might be – directional signs? The very beginning of writing? Trying out a new brush?


One major deficiency is the lack of a clear time scale. Bahn repeatedly refers to Pleistocene cultural periods – Aurignacian, Magdalenian, etc. – long before providing a time chart; then the chart he shows dates from 1976, and doesn’t even illustrate current thought at that time, but rather the history of the use of these names. Another possible deficiency is the lack of any cultural background information; there’s no discussion of lithics, paleoclimate, human fossils, or other information that might have some bearing on the makers of the art; however, this is already a pretty long book.


As mentioned, abundant color photographs; both large scale and detail maps of cave locations (although few plans of the caves themselves). A long bibliography, listing books in multiple languages; and adequate index. Probably now out of date, which explains why it was pretty cheap, but interesting enough to make me want to do more reading.

A book filled with photographs of skulls, bones, & bodies frozen & mumified, reveals how archaeologists unravel the mysteries embedded in corpses hundreds of years old. Interesting

A guide to the decorated ice age caves of Europe

Flenley and Bahn have created an incredibly comprehensive reconstruction of Easter Island's history. They cover the origins, flora, fauna, tides, culture, language, stone carving, etc. In fact, for a layman such as myself, the sheer volume of details is a bit overwhelming, and I frequently found myself skimming. (I really didn't want to know that much about Chilean palm tree nuts or pollen samples.)

The authors make their very plausible (and exhaustive) case that the Easter Islanders doomed themselves by invoking an ecological disaster, possibly compounded by drought, which led to starvation and internecine warfare.

The stone giants are the embodiment of some sort of archetypal figure from the human subconscious and have fascinated generations. I came away from the reading most impressed by the fact that every scientist, archaeologist, doctor, engineer, or assorted wing-nut who had seen the stones was compelled to try and figure out how they were carved or moved. The megaliths seem to cast a spell over the most sane and rational people. (I found myself telling my husband we should go there for our next vacation)

This is a very excellent book , It has a lot of interesting information.

I have a small section on archeology in my personal library. It is an area of study that fascinates me. Written in Bones: How Human Remains Unlock the Secrets of the Dead looks at human remains and how burials and grave goods can be interpreted to tell people of the present more about people of the past. Each chapter deals with a different discovery, some that are well known; some more obscure. The burials are not confined to one era or civilization but come from all over the world. There are many photographs – good for those who are interested in this area of study, not so good for those who are squeamish. It was an interesting read.

What ages would I recommend it too? – Twelve and up.

Length? – Several days read.

Characters? – None.

Setting? – Real world. Ancient History

Written approximately? – 1997.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Confused.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

Short storyline: This book gives about two pages of information to most sites around the world. It should be enough to encourage readers to want to read more. However, there are so many misspellings (some are simple British spellings) that often after a paragraph, the reader has to stop and try to determine what the authors are trying to say.

Notes for the reader: Be prepared to look up more current info on places. Some are ones I don't readily recognize. most are familiar from documentaries. Eve though the book was published in 1997, the picture quality, and story quality are closer to 1970's.

A very good short introduction to archaeology by Paul Bahn who seems to have been extremely industrious at writing introductions and introductory textbooks to archaeology. In a hundred pages and ten chapters, enriched by cartoons, Bahn conveys the main ideas and approaches of archaeology. What I would have liked to be discussed was the relationship between archaeology, anthropology and history. Archaeology, more and more, is providing a scientific layer for anthropology and history. Given the increasing specialization in techniques and methods, should they continue to be placed under the label archaeology or distributed as auxiliary science to the other disciplines?

Had to read it for uni - well, we so far actually only had to read several chapters of it - but I liked it so much I finished the whole thing already. For obligatory reading, that's pretty great.

A very entertaining, quick read which only took me a couple of hours. There were one or two spots where the relentless puns got a bit too much, but on the whole it was an enjoyable snapshot survey of what present day archaeology covers.

Awesome guide to archaeological sites worldwide. It also gives a timeline of archaeology and some insight into the science of excavating.

A very well illustrated summary of what is known about Mammoths (although a few of the illustrations are poorly designed with respect to the trough that goes down the middle of an open book). I would have liked a little more technical detail about the differences between Mammoth species, but this may have been more suited to a different book. The authors seem to discount (rightly?) the idea that humans caused the extinction of mammoths, but they also point out the limitations of the arguments from climate change. I would love to know more about the interaction of humans and mammoths. I would also like to know more details about the full range of mammoths fossil deposits. But again, this would have required a much bigger and more difficult book. This volume provides a very enjoyable introduction to these creatures.½

A useful guide covering most aspects of the subject for the enthusiast. It includes many illustrations and several maps as well as a good list of suggestions for further reading.
The main section of this book - The Guide - consists of a A to Z on the subject,beginning with abacus and Abada,Tell through longhouse,Minoan and Persepolis to Zwolen.
As good as a one volume guide could possibly be.

An amazing book covering in readable detail the species known as mammoths. Not an evolutionary ancestor of elephants, but a separate evolutionary line, mammoths were amazing creatures similar to modern day elephants. Because of the permafrost near the Artic Circle, entire frozen mammoths have been discovered leading to a plethora of information on this species. Scientists have been able to analyze DNA, dissect, look at stomach contents - all sorts of analytical work that cannot be done on dinosaurs because no frozen sample exists. Fascinating, excellent read!

Like most, this book was recommended reading on my undergrad degree. I used it many times as a reference work, both during uni and in the field. It is easy to read and accessible for anyone with an interest in archaeological practice. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to study archaeology.

Although I have never been formally trained in archaeology, I bought this book as a reference book many years ago in order to self-educate myself about the various facets of archaeology, how it is practiced, and the various methodologies used. I live in Alexandria, Egypt and am surrounded by archaeological sites and remains at every turn. I am also a diver and regularly dive on the remains of the Pharos Lighthouse, the Sunken Royal Quarters (aka "Cleopatra's Palace), and the shipwreck of Napoleon Bonaparte's flagship L'Orient. My interest in archaeology is in the underwater aspects (Underwater, Nautical, and Maritime Archaeology). This book has provided me with the foundation and fundamentals with which I approach each site that I visit, be it underwater or terrestrial. Great book which this "old Neophyte" highly recommends. This book is an easy read for non-academics as well as those which are doing formal study.

Shipwreckz,
www.shipwrecksofegypt.com

This was the book we were recommended to buy as a standard text for my undergrad course. It was never actually referred to over the course of my three years--typical of that university: you absolutely need to buy this very very expensive book, which is so essential we will never mention it again--but despite that, this is actually a comprehensive and interesting introduction to all facets of current archaeological practice. This is a slightly older edition now, but it's still a good intro to the field, particularly in terms of archaeological ethics.

Very good overview of archaeology and its history.½

This was the text used for my CTYI Archaeology course, way back in the mists of time. It does exactly as it claims on the cover, recounting one hundred of the most influential and famous archaeological discoveries in history—from Schliemann's excavations at Troy to the excavation of Tollund Man (whose photo graces the cover) to the Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China—in clear and accessible prose. The photos are the real joy of this book, though, glossy and high-quality. Good for leafing through or for use as a coffee table book.

A must for the armchair Indiana Jones.