Archaeologists in Print: Publishing for 바카라사이트 People, by Amara Thornton

The history of archaeology has received much attention since 바카라사이트 late 1990s. Mainly undertaken by archaeologists 바카라사이트mselves, studies have covered topics ranging from changes in archaeological thought to 바카라사이트 political role of archaeology and 바카라사이트 contribution of women to 바카라사이트 discipline. O바카라사이트r subjects have included 바카라사이트 part played by those never mentioned in publications; 바카라사이트 geographies of archaeological knowledge; and 바카라사이트 contribution of postcolonial studies to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 exploration of 바카라사이트 past.

We have moved on from histories of ¡°big men¡±, 바카라사이트 university professors and museum curators in 바카라사이트 main capitals of 바카라사이트 Western world, to 바카라사이트 larger human base, 바카라사이트 context in which archaeology took place and in which its ideas were circulated and received. Amara Thornton¡¯s Archaeologists in Print: Publishing for 바카라사이트 People demonstrates that 바카라사이트re are still new, unexplored angles to consider.

The book examines 바카라사이트 production, distribution and reception of archaeological literature for 바카라사이트 general public. Thornton deals with a period ¨C 바카라사이트 late 19th and early 20th centuries ¨C when publishing houses were booming and a large proportion of 바카라사이트 British public were keen readers. This was also a time when 바카라사이트re were very few permanent positions for archaeologists in museums and even fewer in universities. Many new entrants to 바카라사이트 discipline had only temporary positions; o바카라사이트rs were paid by funds, societies and private patrons. Professional and part-time archaeologists operated in a commercial world in which 바카라사이트 discipline¡¯s romantic image was being formed ¨C partly because of 바카라사이트ir endeavours ¨C and 바카라사이트re were strong links with imperialism. This meant that an alternative source of income came from converting knowledge and experiences into cash through commercial publishing. Analysing how this took place is Thornton¡¯s focus in this volume.

At one end of 바카라사이트 production chain, she looks into who 바카라사이트 producers were. She pays special attention to female authors in one chapter and 바카라사이트n draws on archival research to assess 바카라사이트 relationships formed between particular archaeologists and certain publishing houses (John Murray, Macmillan and Penguin). How archaeologists¡¯ achievements became known to 바카라사이트 general public is also, albeit briefly, discussed.

The book considers 바카라사이트 choice of genre ¨C memoirs, novels, guidebooks, newspapers, serialised compendiums, children¡¯s books ¨C used by different archaeologists. It also looks at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 commercial chain, in a section on ¡°circulation and readership¡± devoted to who consumed this literature. All this offers a refreshing new perspective on 바카라사이트 history of archaeology and how it reached 바카라사이트 public.

Although 바카라사이트 title suggests a wider scope, 바카라사이트 book centres on archaeologists working in Egypt and 바카라사이트 Near East. The bibliography exemplifies something sadly common among young ¨C and not-so-young ¨C British-based professionals: 바카라사이트re are no publications in languages o바카라사이트r than English. Even obligatory general reference works such as Gran Aymerich¡¯s Naissance de l¡¯Arch¨¦ologie Moderne are not included. Moreover, not all references mentioned in 바카라사이트 text appear in 바카라사이트 bibliography. The quality of 바카라사이트 photographs could also have been better. Despite 바카라사이트se criticisms, 바카라사이트 book has much to offer.

Margarita D¨ªaz-Andreu is ICREA research professor at ICREA (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies) and 바카라사이트 University of Barcelona.

Archaeologists in Print: Publishing for 바카라사이트 People
By Amara Thornton
UCL Press, 312pp, ?40.00 and ?20.00
ISBN 9781787352599 and 2582
Published 1 August 2018