Archaeology

Why did Rome fall? Vicious barbarian invasions during the fifth century resulted in the cataclysmic end of the world's most powerful civilization, and a 'dark age' for its conquered peoples. Or did it? The dominant view of this period today is that the 'fall of Rome' was a largely peaceful transition to Germanic rule, and the start of a positive cultural transformation. Bryan Ward-Perkins encourages every reader to think again by reclaiming the drama and violence of Rome's fall, and reinstating the very real horrors of barbarian occupation and the disintegration of the Roman world. He examines how and why successive generations have understood this period differently, and why the story in still so significant today. - ;Why did Rome fall?. Vicious barbarian invasions during the fifth century resulted in the cataclysmic end of the world's most powerful civilization, and a 'dark age' for its conquered peoples. Or did it? The dominant view of this period today is that the 'fall of Rome' was a largely peaceful transition to Germanic rule, and the start of a positive cultural transformation. Bryan Ward-Perkins encourages every reader to think again by reclaiming the drama and violence of the last days of the Roman world, and reminding us of the very real horrors of barbarian occupation. Attacking new sources with relish and making use of a range of contemporary archaeological evidence, he looks at both the wider explanations for the disintegration of the Roman world and also the consequences for the lives of everyday Romans, in a world of economic collapse, marauding barbarians,. and the rise of a new religious orthodoxy. He also looks at how and why successive generations have understood this period differently, and why the story is still so significant today. - ;Teasingly stimulating, acutely critical, abundantly constructive, and certain to unleash endless debate. - Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author of Civilizations and Millen more...

Price: $18.95

Completely revised and updated to reflect the latest developments in the field, this new edition of Kemp's popular text presents a compelling reassessment of what gave Ancient Egypt its distinctive and enduring characteristics. more...

Price: $29.95

An examination of the barbarian migrations and their role in the creation of medieval Europe. more...

Price: $92.00

In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils an astonishing discovery: there is a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy. He explains why spirituality has a role today, and why science, contrary to conventional wisdom, affirms the validity of the religious quest. And this previously unrecognized evolutionary logic points not toward continued religious extremism, but future harmony. Nearly a decade in the making, The Evolution of God is a breathtaking re-examination of the past, and a visionary look forward. more...

Price: $25.99

The new edition details key advances in the field related to lithic debitage analysis and lithic tool analysis since publication of the first edition in 1998. It includes new sections on stone tool functional studies, microdebitage analysis and minimal analytical nodule analysis. more...

Price: $35.00