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George Dennis (1814-1898) was a British antiquarian who was the first modern investigator of ancient Etruria and Etruscan archaeological remains. After visiting Etruria several times between 1842 and 1847, Dennis entered the diplomatic service, becoming pro-consul to Sicily in 1863. These volumes, first published in 1848, are the result of his travels in Etruria and contain the first scholarly account of Etruscan archaeological sites. Originally written as a guide for tourists who wished to see ancient sites beyond the familiar Roman remains, the book describes the antiquities in each Etruscan city in great detail, with major centres such as Veii having a section each for the city and cemetery remains. Illustrated with images of antiquities, architectural remains and plans of the larger sites, this volume provides valuable information on sites which have since been lost, destroyed or damaged. Volume 2 includes the sites of Chiusi and Perugia. ... Read more

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In a world where pottery studies have tended to become increasingly insular as the volume of excavated pottery grows ever greater, Roman face pots do in fact provide a discrete body of material that is clearly inter-related and stretches across many Roman provincial boundaries and modern national frontiers, offering a particular insight into the movement of ideas and traditions within the Roman world. Contents: Chapter 1: The pre-Roman face anthropomorphic pottery and masks of Greece, the Balkans and the East Mediterranean from the Neolithic to the Roman Period; Chapter 2: The pre-Roman anthropomorphic pottery and face masks of Western Europe from the Neolithic to the Roman period; Chapter 3: The face pots of Roman Italy; Chapter 4: The face pots of the Lower and Middle Rhineland; Chapter 5: The face pots of France, Belgium and Spain; Chapter 6: The face pots of the Rhine-Danube corner; Chapter 7: The face pots of the Upper Danube; Chapter 8: The face pots of Pannonia, Moesia and Dacia; Chapter 9: The face pots of Roman Britain; Chapter 10: Face jars and face beakers: one tradition or two; Chapter 11: The military Connection; Chapter 12: Whose were the faces?; Chapter 13: How were face pots used?; Appendix 1: Notes on Dionysus-Bacchus-Liber and other deities associated with him; Appendix 2: A rough guide to the movements of the legions stationed in the Rhineland, the Danubian provinces and in Britain; Appendices 3: The bust vases of north-east Gallia Belgica; Appendix 4: Roman head vases, balsamaria and steelyard weights; Appendix 5: Masks from the Roman period; Appendix 6: Roman snake pots. ... Read more

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A study of the neglected Malfese regions of southern Italy and the archaeological work undertaken in the area. The objective is to organize an excursus on the history of archaeological research carried out in the territory of the Vulture-Melfese, drawing on most recent analyses. It will includes summaries of the conclusions that have been presented and which are seen as particularly useful regarding the study of the archaeology of the region, beyond supplying the bibliography of the publications of such archaeological activity. This is organised by territory; each part of the Vulture-Melfese having the history of research described, with a discussion of the finds and a complete bibliography of all published material, including not only scholarly works but articles published in popular journals and newspapers in the Provincial and National Libraries of Potenza. ... Read more

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This edited volume of forty-four papers on terracottas opens with a section on New Research, followed by five geograohical sections on: Etruria; Umbria and Abruzzo; The Faliscans, Rome and Latium; Campania and Magna Graecia; and Sicily. The terracottas in question are the various parts of roofing systems used by the ancient Italians Italic, Etruscan and colonial Greek and cover both domestic and temple architecture. Thirty-three papers are in Italian, nine in English and two in German. ... Read more

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This volume brings together a number of case studies in the landscape archaeology of South and Central Italy by distinguished scholars writing from first-hand experience. The contributions illustrate the growing interest among Mediterranean landscape archaeologists in long-term regional trends and processes, such as the centralization of indigenous society during protohistory, the interaction between indigenous and Greek and Roman colonial culture, and the formation of the early historic landscape of town and country. The contributions also reflect the increasing sophistication of field methods and material studies as well as theoretically informed desktop studies, which now succeed in mapping a wide range of forms of permanent human settlement and ritual activity in the Italian landscape - from subsistence farms to complex urban settlements and from ritual cave sites to institutionalized sanctuaries. Contributions by Marianne Kleibrink, Alessandro Vanzetti, Helle Horsnaes, Bert Nijboer, Gert-Jan Burgers, Peter Attema & Martijn van Leusen. ... Read more

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The project Regional Pathways to Complexity, Landscape and Settlement Dynamics in Early Italy was set up to study the processes of centralisation, early urbanism and colonisation in three main regions of Italy in the first millennium BC. This volume forms the proceedings of an international conference held at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, in 2000, that looked at developments in landscape archaeology within the remit of this project. With GIS methods and applications at the heart of the project, the contributors discuss and interpret regional settlement data, site histories, pottery technology and production, land-use models and landscape perceptions from both urban and rural perspectives. ... Read more

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"Villa to Village" challenges the historical view that hilltop villages in Italy were first founded in the tenth century. Drawing upon recent excavations, the authors show that the makings of the medieval village lie in the demise of the Roman villa in late antiquity. The book describes the lively debate between archaeologists and historians on this issue. It also examines the evidence for the first manorial villages of the Carolingian era and describes how these were transformed into the familiar feudal villages that are characteristic of much of Italy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Worth checking out
I'm surprised there are no other reviews on this little book. OK, it's a specialized topic, with quite a bit of historiography and the archeological equivalent. Nevertheless, I think this is a highly valuable book for anyone interested in the history of Europe between the end of the Roman empire and the eleventh century. The book is short, readable, packed with examples, and covers both history and archeology. Definitely worth checking out. One question I came way with was which came first, monasteries on hilltops or villages on hilltops, or did they both build there at the same time to get away from someone else. ... Read more

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Proceedings of the 3rd Italian Congress of Ethnoarchaeology held in Mondaino (Italy), 17-19 March, 2004. Contents: 1) Ethnoarchaeology: a new agency (S. di Lernia); Some brief notes on a survey of the Middle Indus Valley: the connection between petroglyphs, foundation myths and the ritual practices of the brok-pas (A. Benassi, I .E. Scerrato); Archetypal logic, rogations, ambarvalia, human sacrifices and Kyoto Protocols (G. Forni); Traditional tools and techniques to produce the metal vessels: the coppersmith from Roccagorga and the archaeometallurgy (C. Giardino); Wood locks with dropping pivots. an ethnoarchaeological example from north-western Italy (O. Musso); Purun Runa. a brief essay of Andean ethno-history (M.I. Pannaccione Apa); Wool and olive oil, a winning combination in the textile industry (M.R. Belgiorno); Women potters of Notse' (Togo). Documents in the manufacturing of globe-shaped jars (G. Calegari); Basketry: craftsmanship, experimental archaeology and archaeology (E. Cristiani, C. Lemorini, M. Massussi, I. Piccoli); The end of the typical pottery manufacture of Barrama (Tunisia) (A. Depalmas, F. di Gennaro); The kiln of Montottone (central Italy) - an ethnoarchaeological research (L. Foglini); Ethnohistorical analogies and functional contexts: grinding/pounding tools from the site of Monte Loffa (Monti Lessini, Verona) (M. Migliavacca, A. Atzori, L. Longo); The Tamberma' Culture between Togo and Benin. Warriors entrenched in clay castles (A. Priuli); Circulation of human groups patterns and raw material strategies in the hunter-gatherer's society (M.F. Rolfo, A. Spera, G. Reddavide); The wedding trousseau: broom material productions in textile manufacture. The renewal of an ancient tradition (R. Agostino, M. Sica); Ethnoarchaeology of rock shelters (S. Biagetti, C. Delpino, M. Tarantini); Farming in hollow structures (F. Brescia, P. Cerino); What we can learn about the archaeological record combining quantitative analysis and ethnoarchaeology: issues from a work in progress (C. Cortese); Fresh milk from "Malgas" and ethnoarchaeological research: a food for thought? (G. de Angeli, A. de Guio, S. Vicari); " su per i monti che noi andremo " : war-paths for archaeology (A. de Guio, A. Betto); Nomadic campsites from west-central Mongolia (F. Lugli); Functional interpretation of protohistoric domestic structures remains from an ethno-archaeological research about domestic architecture of south-western Senegal's Peul groups (C. Moffa); Southern Iraq. investigating Magan's technologies. Boats from "marsh arabs" (L. Bezzi); The fish-well ships: an ethno-archeological study (G. Boetto); Hemp's craftsmanship in a fishing context of the Picenum region (Marche) (G. Cavezzi); Shipyards in Varazze (Savona, Italy): ethnohistorical analysis of ancient shipbuilding contracts (F. Ciciliot); The dhoni from the Maldives (P. Bell'Amico); Cyclades-Eoliian islands: piracy as a forced option for the population of the lesser islands during the Bronze Age and in modern times (G. Giorgianni); Practical meteorology and navigation. a comparison between antiquity and tradition (S. Medas, R. Brizzi); Techniques, functions and symbols in ancient and modern ship modeling (V. Li Vigni, S. Tusa); Perforated dolia. New data on the seafaring economy in Dalmatia? (I. Radic Rossi). ... Read more

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Few river valleys can claim the historical importance of the Tiber, and an understanding of the river and its valley is key to an understanding of Rome and its place in the ancient world. When Rome was in its ascendancy, the Tiber became a vital route for communication and trade, but when Rome went into decline, the Tiber became a buffer-zone between Rome and Byzantium. This ebb and flow, with the associated reorganisation of social, political and economic life are themes central to any study of Roman civilisation. The 19 papers published in this volume were first presented at two workshops at the British School at Rome, in 1997 and '98. These workshops came about as part of the Tiber Valley Project, which aims to examine the changing landscapes on both sides of the valley from 1000 BC to AD 1300. English and Italian text. ... Read more

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In this study Rae Ostman examines and contrasts Etruscan and Roman ceramic evidence from two distinct periods in Volterra to identify changes in social complexity. The first period, which covers the 3rd to 1st centuries BC, represents Volterra at its height while the second (2nd to 6th centuries AD) witnessed the city's first significant period of decline. The bulk of the study comprises a catalogue followed by analyses of techniques of pottery production, including clay and soil types, and a consideration of imported vessels. A final discussion draws conclusions about Volterra's relationships with other urban centres and the countryside during the two periods and considers how economic changes reflected changes in social complexity. ... Read more

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Archives and Excavations aims to stimulate a new approach to the history of excavation by drawing attention to a vast and important area of research that has been neglected for almost a century. ... Read more

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How Cyriacus of Ancona—merchant, spy, and amateur classicist—traveled the world, fightingto save ancient monuments forposterity.At the beginning of the fifteenth century, ayoung Italian bookkeeper fell under the spell of the classical past. Despite his limitededucation, the Greeks and Romans seemed to speak directly to him—not from books but from thephysical ruins and inscriptions that layneglected around the shores of theMediterranean.

As an internationalmerchant, Cyriacus of Ancona was accustomed tothe perils of travel in foreign lands—unlike his more scholarly peers with their handsomelibraries and wealthy patrons, who benefitedgreatly from the discoveries communicated in his widely distributed letters and drawings. Havingseen firsthand the destruction of the world’scultural heritage, Cyriacus resolved to preserve it for future generations. To do so he would spyon the Ottomans, court popes and emperors, andeven organize a crusade.

25 illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Birth of Archaeology
This book illuminates a period in history of which I was well aware in a general sense, but completely oblivious to its particular importance to the world of archaeology. In very animated and often gripping prose, the author recounts the birth of archaeology through the life and efforts of the Italian merchant/bookkeeper who was responsible for it: Cyriacus of Ancona. By making detailed drawings of ancient monuments, mainly throughout Greece, Italy and Asia Minor, and copying inscriptions that he found on them as well as on building stones that had been scavenged for use in new structures, he made the ancient past come alive for his intellectual contemporaries.

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of Cyriacus' work for today's archaeologists. One significant reason for this is that many of the structures that he carefully drew and documented were subsequently severely damaged and some were completely destroyed in the subsequent decades and centuries. Thus, his records became the only remaining reliable detailed descriptions available. This book also presents a snapshot of the Renaissance in the mid-fifteenth century, complete with the religious and political turmoil that played an important part in Cyriacus' life and times.

The writing style is clear, friendly, accessible, lively and immensely captivating. This is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone who likes a good adventure story; archaeology/history buffs in particular will be in for a treat.

Great biography of a largely unknown hero of European history
Ozerskaya's book on Cyriacus of Ancona, a/k/a Ciriaco de Pizzicolli is an excellent biography of this largely forgotten yet important figure of Medieval Europe.The author presents a very unbiased portrait of a man who, though starting out as a humble accountant, ended up in the middle of efforts to restore unity between the Eastern and Western Churches, worked to promote a new Crusade against the Ottomans, and as the title suggests, became the father of modern archaeology.The main focus of the book is on the Cyriacus as being the first European to take a serious interest in all the ruins from classical times, and to document them and preserve them for posterity.Cyriacus searched for remnants of the classical world throughout his travels, and painstakingly recorded and analyzed them.He was also largely self-taught and performed his research largely unaided.The author is a good writer and presents the material in an easily readable way.Thankfully, she does not make the same mistake as most biographers and attempt to turn her subject into a hero.She readily critiques him, such as pointing out his lack of diplomatic skills.

I don't have any very serious criticisms of the book.From what I have gathered, there just aren't a lot of primary sources with detailed information on Cyriacus, nor did he write an autobiography.But I did find the book a bit short, and it sometimes felt that the pictures were used to fill up pages.At times it also felt like the author struggled to complete certain sections and that she was searching for ways to lengthen sections that otherwise were too short.The author mentions that later scholars, even in very recent years, have used Cyriacus' works, but overall there is a lack of a critical description of how he has been viewed and thought of in history. For example, did later rulers and scholars view him as an instigator?Is he truly universally considered the father of modern archaeology?These questions are, unfortunately, not really looked at in this book.I also agree completely with the earlier review which said that the book should have contained maps.The lack of maps detailing his travels and showing some of the events at issue in the book is rather baffling in light of the author's otherwise excellent descriptions.I also found the title of the book a bit bizarre, and think that removing "To Wake the Dead" from it would have made it much more accurate and appropriate.

Ultimately, in light of the relatively esoteric nature of the subject, the importance of Cyriacus in European history (regardless of his relative lack of fame), and the author's excellent writing and well-thought out descriptions, but with the problems I noted above, I rate this book as 4 stars without reservation.I highly recommend this book to all interested in classical studies, medieval European/Italian history, archaeology, the history of relations between the Eastern and Western Churches, and the Crusades.

Ride along with the Father of Archaeology
This book is a wonderful journey into the past. Your tour guide is the enthusiastic, romantic Cyriacus of Ancona, a 15th century Italian port master that developed a passion for ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His detailed record-keeping and sharp mind earned the trust of the local merchants and authorities. He adroitly used that trust to gain passage and access to ancient sites all over the Eastern Mediterranean. He was a careful, meticulous chronicler of all he surveyed. Many of the sites he visited have since been destroyed by war, earthquake or pilferage. His detailed renderings and descriptions are often the only surviving record of these ancient treasures.

Belozerskaya offers us a ticket to ride along with Cyriacus on his many adventures. Her outstanding research and engaging writing style combine to make this a fun book about the amazing, mostly forgotten "father of archaeology." The book does lack one thing: a reference map.

Compelling Reading for Anyone Interested in the Renaissance
"To Wake the Dead," a fascinating tale of a little-known Italian renaissance merchant who somehow made himself into the world's first archaeologist, is the latest release from Moscow-born Marina Belozerskaya.She has previously penned The Medici Giraffe;Luxury Arts of the Renaissance; Ancient Greece: Art, Architecture, and History (Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum), (with Kenneth Lapatin); and The Arts of Tuscany: From the Etruscans to Ferragamo.And she has been an award-winning teacher at Harvard, Tufts, and Boston Universities.

The author here gives us the life of Cyriacus Pizzecolli, who was born at Ancona, in southern Italy. In autumn 1421, young Cyriacus, apprenticed to a merchant from a young age, who was himself to become a most successful merchant, looked up from his business at the port of Ancona, and noticed something the users of the port had long ignored, a Roman triumphal arch rising high overhead.The young merchant would do some research, and realize that it was dedicated to the Roman emperor Trajan.From this would develop a lifelong, extremely productive mission of finding and preserving classical monuments wherever he could: and his business as a merchant enabled - paid -- him to travel widely.

It surely is hard for us to understand now, but, at the dawn of that period of great renewal known as the Renaissance, when artists, architects, humanists and scholars were just beginning to search out, translate, and utilize ancient Greek and Roman literature, the remains of those classical periods still standing in the known world weren't just ignored.They were heavily cannibalized for newer buildings, or for lime to whitewash houses and churches, or for cannonballs.Cyriacus was virtually alone in traveling just to view relics of the past. He was the first to grasp the meaning and importance of such famous sites as the Parthenon in Athens, Greece; and the Temple of Jupiter at Cyzicus in Asia Minor.But he did better than that: his training as a merchant and accountant enabled him to examine the monuments carefully; to draw, and to describe them, and he is often the only source able to tell us how some of the greatest of them once looked.He taught himself Greek and Roman the better to puzzle out what the inscriptions on them were saying - there were no guidebooks in existence; and, alone among Renaissance humanist scholars, concentrated on the art and architecture of the classical period, rather than just the literature.Though he paid plenty of attention to books too, importing them into Italy for those scholars, and, of course, reading them himself.As a result of all this, he became an intimate of famous scholars, popes; of the Medici Grand Dukes of Florence, although merchants were at that time looked down upon by all these people.His drawings, inscriptions and written data inspired the leading artists of his day, such as Donatello and Raphael; and continue to inspire artists, architects, and archaeologists.

Despite the heavy load of scholarship and research Belozerskaya must have invested in this book, it's accessibly written, in lively prose, and unfailingly interesting.It also, praises be, comes with illustrations, each of them surely worth a thousand words.I myself studied Renaissance history at Cornell University, certainly an outstanding school, but I'd never heard of this hugely influential, overlooked merchant, Cyriacus.The book is compelling reading for anyone with an interest in Renaissance, or art history.
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Brimming with detailed maps, floor plans, reproductions of remarkable works of art, aerial photographs, and panoramic views, this exceptional volume traces more than six millennia of ancient Italian history. Researched and written by an editorial board of archaeologists supervised by one of today’s foremost archaeologists and art historians, this volume represents years of intensive research and fieldwork. Encompassing such renowned sites as Rome, Pompeii, and Tarquinia, as well as lesser-known but equally significant gems, this book transports readers back in time to the very beginning of Italy’s known roots.The in-depth text describes the civilizations of the Celts, Etruscans, Italic peoples, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and the Romans, accompanied by hundreds of specially commissioned photographs that reveal, in great detail, the impressive contributions of these peoples to Italy’s rich cultural heritage. From the rock carvings of the Camuni people found in Val Camonica that date as far back as the Late Paleolithic era to the ruins of Herculaneum, long preserved under the volcanic flow from Mt. Vesuvius, this compelling volume brings to life the diverse cultures of ancient Italian civilization. ... Read more

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In this 1958 book all the evidence bearing on Mycenean influence in Italy was gathered together for the first time. This evidence consists almost entirely of Mycenean pottery found in south Italy, Sicily, and the Aeolian Islands. Earlier studies on the subject are reviewed in the light of this research and in relationship to Furumark's analysis and classification of Mycenean pottery, but the most important part of the book is devoted to Mycenean finds from the excavations at Lipari and Torre Catelluccia, and to the large amount of pottery, for the greater part unpublished, from Taranto. The book is based on first-hand study by the author on the sites and is supplemented by more than 350 illustrations of pottery fragments and complete vases, very few of which have been previously published, and maps of the central Mediterranean and Sicily. Mycenean connexions with north Italy are also discussed, and the question of possible penetration to other areas in the western Mediterranean is briefly considered. ... Read more

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This book tells the story of one society's remarkable experience when Italians in the late 1990s attained the lowest birthrate per women of any nation in the world. This case study draws on two years of ethnographic fieldwork over a five year period, to examine the conflicts as well as the possibility that this trend in family-making has created for an otherwise family-centered culture. Krause's innovative project seeks to understand a pressing contemporary issue, and the 'story' she tells takes readers behind the scenes of demographic numbers to reveal what aggregate statistics cannot--a cultural 'politics of population' in which Italians struggle over the meanings of family and children in contemporary society. The reader will gain an in-depth understanding of why Italy's birthrate has fallen so low and what this means for Italians as individuals and Italy as a society and how reproduction has become politicized. The author finds answers in intensely personal dialogues with ordinary people ranging from sweater-makers to counts, and aging bachelors to doting mothers. Their life experiences reveal how a silent revolution against patriarchy reshapes social and sexual morality to create new imperatives for family making. The author hopes to prompt different and critical thinking about populations and the cultural struggles related to the politics of everyday life in modern society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hooray!
Overall I am very satisfied. It came extremely fast (way before i was expecting it). It had a small dent on all the pages, but it doesn't inhibit reading it. As a poor college student i can really appreciate the price.

Extremely well written.....
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Italian culture, women's issues, politics, Cultural Anthropology or anyone who simply has a desire to expand their horizons by reading an exceptionally well written account about the Italian family of today. This book makes you think and dispells many stereotypes and misconceptions we have regarding the "typical" Italian family. ... Read more

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Older than both ceramics and metallurgy, textile production is a technology which reveals much about prehistoric social and economic development. This book examines the archaeological evidence for textile production in Italy from the transition between the Bronze Age and Early Iron Ages until the Roman expansion (1000-400 BCE), and sheds light on both the process of technological development and the emergence of large urban centres with specialised crafts. Margarita Gleba begins with an overview of the prehistoric Appennine peninsula, which featured cultures such as the Villanovans and the Etruscans, and was connected through colonisation and trade with the other parts of the Mediterranean. She then focuses on the textiles themselves: their appearance in written and iconographic sources, the fibres and dyes employed, how they were produced and what they were used for: we learn, for instance, of the linen used in sails and rigging on Etruscan ships, and of the complex looms needed to produce twill. Featuring a comprehensive analysis of textiles remains and textile tools from the period, the book recovers information about funerary ritual, the sexual differentiation of labour (the spinners and weavers were usually women) and the important role the exchange of luxury textiles played in the emergence of an elite. Textile production played a part in ancient Italian society's change from an egalitarian to an aristocratic social structure, and in the emergence of complex urban communities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well writtten, well organized research
A fascinating look at the production of textiles in early Italy, which also mentions Greece and Spain (all linked through shipping trade). Includes information and speculation on loom types.

So much focus has been on the Roman era that little has been said that the Romans built their culture on the bones of earlier cultures. This book addresses that lack, at least in the area of textiles. A worthwhile addition to your library if you are interested in early cultures or in the history of weaving! ... Read more