Qsar es-Seghir

Qsar es-Seghir

Author: Charles L. Redman

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2014-05-10

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1483268403

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Qsar es-Seghir: An Archaeological View of Medieval Life presents the findings of archaeological investigations at Qsar es-Seghir, a medieval port midway between Tangier and Ceuta on the Moroccan shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. The archaeology and material inventory of Qsar es-Seghir are described, along with the reconstruction of the city based on archaeological analysis. Comprised of seven chapters, this book begins with an introduction to Qsar es-Seghir and an overview of the Moroccan-American Archaeological Project that was launched with the support of the Smithsonian Institution and the government of Morocco to study life in this ancient Islamic city during the medieval period. After documenting the history of Qsar es-Seghir, the Islamic city is described based on the accounts of geographers and historians and then as it emerged through the archaeological excavations. Emphasis is on the architecture and town plan as they reveal the organizing principles of the society and the daily lifeways of its inhabitants. Subsequent chapters focus on the artifacts used by the people of Qsar es-Seghir, including tools, weapons, tableware, and jewelry; the activities that were conducted at Qsar es-Seghir; and the town plan, fortifications, monuments, and housing at Qsar es-Seghir as a Portuguese colony. This monograph should be of value to students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of archaeology and anthropology, as well as to laypersons interested in medieval life.


Forgotten Africa

Forgotten Africa

Author: Graham Connah

Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp

Published: 2004-08-19

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0203511808

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Forgotten Africa introduces the general reader and beginning student to Africa's past, emphasizing those aspects only known or best known from archaeological and related evidence. It covers four million years of history across the continent, examining important aspects of Africa's momentous human story. Graham Connah is concerned to raise public awareness, both inside and outside Africa, to this frequently overlooked and often forgotten subject. Forgotten Africa examines: * human origins, * the material culture of hunter gatherers * the beginnings of African farming, the development of metallurgy * the emergence of distinctive artistic traditions * the growth of cities and states * the expansion of trading networks * the impact of European and other external contacts. The result is a fascinating and important story told in a straightforward and readable manner.


The Archaeology of Medieval Europe, Vol. 2

The Archaeology of Medieval Europe, Vol. 2

Author: Jan Klapste

Publisher: Aarhus Universitetsforlag

Published: 2011-10-31

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 8771244263

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The two volumes of The Archaeology of Medieval Europe together comprise the first complete account of Medieval Archaeology across the continent. This ground-breaking set will enable readers to track the development of different cultures and regions over the 800 years that formed the Europe we have today. In addition to revealing the process of Europeanisation, within its shared intellectual and technical inheritance, the complete work provides an opportunity for demonstrating the differences that were inevitably present across the continent - from Iceland to Sicily and Portugal to Finland.


An Archaeology of Religion

An Archaeology of Religion

Author: Kit W. Wesler

Publisher: University Press of America

Published: 2012-04-20

Total Pages: 347

ISBN-13: 0761858466

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Archaeologists have been increasingly turning their attention to the study of religion, but the field so far has lacked a cross-cultural overview. This text challenges archaeological conventions by refusing to respect the geographic and temporal boundaries with which archaeologists too often define their field. Worldwide in range and comparative in perspective, this exploration is guided by several fundamental questions: how do we recognize religion in the archaeological record? When should we recognize the first activities we call religious? What distinguishes a world religion? How can we see the formations of modern world religions in the archaeological record? An Archaeology of Religion begins with the first glimmers of what might be considered religious expression in the Paleolithic period and concludes with the complexities of world religions today. This book is an ambitious attempt to survey how scholars approach the identification of religious sites and practices in the archaeological record.


Archaeology at La Isabela

Archaeology at La Isabela

Author: Kathleen A. Deagan

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2008-10-01

Total Pages: 412

ISBN-13: 030013391X

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In this volume, Kathleen Deagan and Jose Maria Cruxent present detailed technical documentation of their ten-year archaeological excavation of La Isabela, America's first colony. The artefacts and material remains of the town offer rich material for comparative research into Euro-American cultural and material development during the crucial transition from the medieval era to the Renaissance. The period when La Isabela was in existence witnessed great innovation and change in many areas of technology. The archaeological evidence of La Isabela's architecture, weaponry, numismatics, pottery and metallurgy can be precisely dated, helping to chart the sequence of this change and revealing much that is new about late medieval technology. The authors' archaeological research also provides a foundation for their insights into the reasons for the demise of La Isabela.