The Archaeology of Destruction

The Archaeology of Destruction
Author: Lila Rakoczy
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2008
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

Buildings and landscapes are traditionally analysed with their construction and use in mind, with less interest shown in their destruction or â ~endâ (TM). This innovative book, canvassing the opinions of historians, archaeologists, and other professionals, highlights the complexity of destruction both as a concept and a phenomenon. Drawing from a variety of time periods and cultures, it explores the multiplicity of meanings that destruction can have, and the many complications this creates. Included in this are the politics behind how destruction is remembered (or forgotten), the logistical and ethical dilemmas it presents us with, and the power tensions and transitions that often accompany it. One of the most fundamental themes explored in this book is what destruction is: who defines it and how we choose to recognise it, and why these questions need to be debated. It clearly demonstrates the importance of understanding the complexity of destructive acts, and argues that the best way to achieve this is by establishing channels of dialogue between archaeologists and other disciplines.

Destruction

Destruction
Author: Jan Driessen
Publisher: Presses universitaires de Louvain
Total Pages: 490
Release: 2013-05-25
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 2875581244

Destruction remains a relatively unexplored and badly understood topic in archaeology and history. The term itself refers to some form and measurable degree of damage inflicted to an object, a system or a being, usually exceeding the stage during which repair is still possible but most often it is examined for its impact with destructive events interpreted in terms of a punctuated equilibrium, extraordinary features that represent the end of an archaeological culture or historical phase and the beginning of a new one. The three-day international workshop of which this volume presents the proceedings took place at Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium, from November 24 to 26, 2011 and was organized by CEMA – Centre d'Étude des Mondes Antiques – one of the research centres within INCAL – Institut de Civilisations, Arts et Lettres. Our aim with organising this gathering was to seriously engage with destruction as a phenomenon and how it is perceived by archaeologists, historians and philologists of the ancient world. The volume is similarly structured to the workshop which it reflects, with first a series of more theoretical papers and then following a chronological and geographical order.

The Archaeology of the Holy Land

The Archaeology of the Holy Land
Author: Jodi Magness
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 401
Release: 2012-08-27
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0521124131

An introduction to the archaeology and history of ancient Palestine, from the destruction of Solomon's temple to the Muslim conquest.

The Destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jericho

The Destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jericho
Author: David Neev
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 188
Release: 1995
Genre: Bible
ISBN: 0195090942

The story of the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jericho--three cities situated along a major fault line extending 1,100 kilometers from the Red Sea to Turkey--is the oldest such description in human history. In this book, noted geologists K.O. Emery and David Neev have revisited that story to shed light on what happened there some 4,350 years ago. With all the benefits of modern geological and forensic science techniques at their disposal, the authors explore an area where earthquakes, volcanic activity, variations in the Dead Sea's level, and oscillations between arid and wet climates have affected life there for over 10,000 years. In reviewing the geology, biblical paleogeography, and limnology of the region, the authors have produced fascinating insights into the tectonic and climatic changes that have occurred in the region over the last 6,000 years and how those changes have affected cultural life in the Middle East. The Destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jericho is the first book to combine modern science and biblical archaeology to produce an authoritative account of the of these three great cities. It will fascinate students and researchers in geology, geophysics, and archaeology alike.

Transformation Through Destruction

Transformation Through Destruction
Author: David R. Fontijn
Publisher: Sidestone Press
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 9088901023

Over a 1000 tiny bronze artefacts were found alongside the remains of a man in a Dutch barrow that was excavated in laboratory conditions. The objects had been dismantled and taken apart, all to be destroyed by fire in what appears to have been a pars pro toto burial. In essence, a person and a place were being transformed through destruction. Based on the meticulous excavation and a range of specialist and comprehensive studies of finds, a prehistoric burial ritual now can be brought to life in surprising detail. This Iron Age community used extraordinary objects that find their closest counterpart in the elite graves of the Hallstatt culture in Central Europe.

The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World

The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World
Author: Sylvian Fachard
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2021-09-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1108851460

From the Trojan War to the sack of Rome, from the fall of Constantinople to the bombings of World War II and the recent devastation of Syrian towns, the destruction of cities and the slaughter of civilian populations are among the most dramatic events in world history. But how reliable are literary sources for these events? Did ancient authors exaggerate the scale of destruction to create sensational narratives? This volume reassesses the impact of physical destruction on ancient Greek cities and its demographic and economic implications. Addressing methodological issues of interpreting the archaeological evidence for destructions, the volume examines the evidence for the destruction, survival, and recovery of Greek cities. The studies, written by an international group of specialists in archaeology, ancient history, and numismatic, range from Sicily to Asia Minor and Aegean Thrace, and include Athens, Corinth, and Eretria. They highlight the resilience of ancient populations and the recovery of cities in the long term.

The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq

The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq
Author: Peter G. Stone
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2008
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1843833840

Discussion of the issues surrounding the destruction of cultural property in times of conflict has become a key issue for debate around the world. This book provides an historical statement as of 1st March 2006 concerning the destruction of the cultural heritage in Iraq. In a series of chapters it outlines the personal stories of a number of individuals who were - and in most cases continue to be - involved. These individuals are involved at all levels, and come from various points along the political spectrum, giving a rounded and balanced perspective so easily lost in single authored reports. It also provides the first views written by Iraqis on the situation of archaeology in Iraq under Saddam and an overview and contextualisation of the issues surrounding the looting, theft and destruction of the archaeological sites, the Iraqi National museum and the libraries in Baghdad since the war was launched in 2003. Beyond this, it examines our attitudes towards the preservation of cultural and heritage resources and, in particular, the growing political awareness of their importance. Although related to a single conflict, taking place at a specific time in history, the relevance of this work goes far beyond these self-imposed boundaries. PETER STONE is Professor of Heritage Studies and Head of School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University; JOANNE FARCHAKH BAJJALY is a Lebanese archaeologist and Middle East correspondent for the French magazine Archéologia.

The Archaeology of Refuge and Recourse

The Archaeology of Refuge and Recourse
Author: Tsim D. Schneider
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2021-10-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 0816542538

"As an Indigenous scholar researching the history and archaeology of his own tribe, Tsim D. Schneider provides a unique and timely contribution to the growing field of Indigenous archaeology and offers a new perspective on the primary role and relevance of Indigenous places and homelands in the study of colonial encounters"--

Destruction and Conservation of Cultural Property

Destruction and Conservation of Cultural Property
Author: R Layton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 346
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 113460498X

In 1991 the mosque at Ayodhya in India was demolished by Hindu fundamentalists who claim that it stood on the birthplace of a legendary Hindu hero. During recent conflicts in former Yugoslavia, ethnic groups destroyed mosques and churches to eliminate evidence of long-term settlement by other communities. Over successive centuries, however, a single building in Cordoba functioned as a mosque, a church and a synagogue. The Roman Emperor Diocletian's Palace in Split is occupied today by shops and residential apartments. What circumstances have lead to the survival and reinterpretation of some monuments, but the destruction of others? This work asks whether the idea of world heritage is an essential mechanism for the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage, or whether it subjugates a diversity of cultural traditions to specifically Western ideas. How far is it acceptable for one group of people to comment upon, or intercede in, the way in which another community treats the remains which it claims as its own? What are the responsibilities of multinational corporations and non-governmental organisations operating in the Developing World? Who actually owns the past: the landowner, indigenous people, the State or humankind?

Destruction and Its Impact on Ancient Societies at the End of the Bronze Age

Destruction and Its Impact on Ancient Societies at the End of the Bronze Age
Author: Jesse Millek
Publisher: Lockwood Press
Total Pages: 395
Release: 2023-02-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1957454016

This volume offers a groundbreaking reassessment of the destructions that allegedly occurred at sites across the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Late Bronze Age, and challenges the numerous grand theories that have been put forward to account for them. The author demonstrates that earthquakes, warfare, and destruction all played a much smaller role in this period than the literature of the past several decades has claimed, and makes the case that the end of the Late Bronze Age was a far less dramatic and more protracted process than is generally believed.