Drawing on the past

Description

What is it like to be an archaeologist and to "do" archaeology? Through whimsical watercolors, drawings, fascinating marginalia, and humorous anecdotes, Naomi F. Miller illustrates the life of a field archaeologist, illuminating her story with charming art that she has done mostly in her spare time on digs. She begins with how she became an archaeologist and an archaeobotanist. She uses the artwork she has done over the past 30 years to recount her experiences on excavations from Malyan, Iran, to Gordion, Turkey, to Euphrates projects in Turkey and Syria, and to Anau, Turkmenistan Iran. Packed into the text are many anecdotes along with an astonishing amount of information about archaeology. The text answers the questions most lay people ask about archaeology—how do you find sites, how do you know where to dig, who pays for the excavation—and much more. The artist evokes both the life and landscapes she has experienced as an archaeologist. Neither a dry textbook nor a romanticized view of the field, this book integrates text and pictures to give an entertaining yet informative view of life on a dig.

Description

"The Guide illuminates ancient societies by explaining and contextualizing the way objects were created and used, focusing on a few overarching themes. Brief essays touch on everyday life, language, commerce and trade, religion, and death and burial among the Etruscans and Romans, and the legacy of the classical world in Western culture.". "Lavishly illustrated with 117 color images, 2 maps, and 15 black and white photographs, and including list of readings and an index, the Guide will be of interest to both general Museum visitors and scholars."--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects

Genres

• Pictorial works.