Michael Scott (18) (1981–)

This book covers the evolution of modern archaeology from old colonial expeditions to today's cutting-edge digs. It analyzes eight significant discoveries, some well-known and others more obscure. The title playfully refers to Indiana Jones’s line that “X never, ever marks the spot.” Scott provides minibiographies of both celebrated and forgotten archeologists. He portrays how scientific methods have changed over time and how these finds have added to our understanding of the past.

The

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eight include:

• - The Rosetta Stone discovered in 1799 in Rashid, Egypt



• - Early writings from the “Caves of the Thousand Buddhas” in Central Asia



• - Early humans discovered in Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania



• - The Terracotta Warriors



• - Machu Picchu



• - Uluburan bronze age shipwreck off the coast of Türkiye



• - “The Lady” of Ukok and ancient ice chambers in the Altai region of Mongolia



• - The ritual deposition of pieces of pots and figurines on Keros Island in the Aegean Sea

Scott analyzes factors involved in archeological digs, including geopolitics, financing, academic interests, luck, and obsessions. He examines how the discoveries become objects of modern fascinations. He explores contemporary debates about ownership, restitution, and cultural heritage. He reviews the colonial origins of archaeology and how the field has evolved to incorporate more collaborative and ethical approaches.

The author's enthusiasm for his material is evident. He is hopeful that local peoples and the international community can come together to protect, preserve, and educate. I found it a compelling read that conveys what these types of discoveries can teach us about human history across time and culture.

4.5 show less

Se un gallo canta di mattina a Roma ed un altro gallo canta di mattina (sebbene alcune ore prima) in Cina il chicchirichì è identico, ma potrebbe avere un accento diverso!

Voler ammassare sotto un’unica bandiera le diversità di idee e popoli, che non possono essere annullate solo scrivendo un libro, è un costringere ad accettare lo slalom, tra le vie di qualsiasi città, tra individui con la testa reclinata sullo smartphone. Ed abbiamo ottenuto l’omologazione.
Si possono aborrire i show more seguenti termini:
social, connessione, condivisione, facebook, bla bla bla?

Dopo decenni di letture di libri storici con la distinzione chiara tra ac e dc (bc and ad) ci troviamo, con Scott, alla divisione tra aev ev: a che pro?

Nel mio campo di studi greci e romani si pubblicano spesso libri con titoli che terminano con le parole “... nel mondo antico”. Tuttavia, a un’ispezione più attenta, ciò che il titolo intende in realtà è il mondo greco-romano del bacino mediterraneo, dove greci e romani vivevano come rane attorno a uno stagno. “Mondo antico” è diventata un’abbreviazione accettata per un’area di interazione umana molto limitata, concentrata intorno a un unico mare: I confini che ci siamo autoimposti ci hanno indotto a confondere la parte con il tutto.
(14)

Ciò che rese Roma unica – e una potenza unica nei secoli successivi al 449 a.e.v. - fu il suo complicato sistema di controlli ed equilibri, grazie al quale tutti I livelli della società rimanevano nella convinzione che fosse più vantaggioso farne parte che ripudiarlo. Secondo Polibio, Roma aveva finalmente conquistato, tramite la “disciplina di molte lotte e molti tormenti”, la concordia ordinum.
(82)

… tanto che già otto anni dopo la marcia di Annibale i resoconti delle fonti storiche del Mediterraneo e della Cina coincisero per la prima volta; da qui in poi, il mondo antico assunse l’aspetto di una scacchiera, nella quale le mosse di ciascun individuo avevano conseguenze per tutto l’insieme.
(124)

Il iv secolo, di conseguenza, merita a buon diritto la fama di momento decisivo nella storia, non soltanto perché fu teatro di dinamici cambiamenti nell’assetto religioso e politico di ampie fasce di un mondo antico effettivamente interconnesso, ma anche perché quelle mutazioni hanno ancora oggi un forte impatto sul funzionamento del nostro mondo e su molte delle idee che guidano la nostra vita.
(359-60)


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Even though this work is less than 10 years old, it falls firmly in the category of those books which I should have given a pass to. While Scott is to be applauded for his attempt to write a good general world history of antiquity that dusts off the old concept of the "Axial Age," one is left with the sense that the sum of the parts is less than the whole. At the very least I've already read too many books that go into more depth than Scott can spend on any one theme (governance, empire show more building, religion) or culture.

Still, I didn't find this to be a total wash-out, in that the middle section went into enough depth regarding the interactions between the successors to Alexander the Great's empire and the wider world of Central Asia, that I felt that I learned something new.

On the whole, this could still be a useful read for the right individual, say, the sort of person who likes computer games such as "Civilization" or "Assassin's Creed," and is looking for historical background in a digestible form. Scott ends on the now poignant note of wondering whether the regime of globalization that prevailed in the middle of the last decade could be upheld; the answer being, not really. show less

Despite claiming to be about global connectivity in Antiquity, this book in fact focuses on the "Classical" civilizations of Greece and Rome. It follows the trend among historians in the past decades to "compare" China with Rome, but it does so on the basis of other popularizing books (I. Morris, P. Frankopan, J. Mann), and a random selection of often outdated scholarly publications.

And despite the image on this edition's cover of an Achaemenid Persian rhyton from the Miho Museum in Kyoto show more (!), the Achaemenid Empire with its enormous impact on Eurasian connectivity is virtually absent from the narrative. Its successor, the Seleukid Empire, fares somewhat better -- perhaps because the author erroneously thinks of the Seleukids as "Greeks" -- but ignoring all post-1990 scholarship on the empire, its impact on world history is misrepresented. The nomad Xiongnu confederation, which unified the northern steppe zone, is mentioned only in passing as enemy of "China".

The mission statement on pp. 5-7 ("The 'Ancient World' -- or 'Worlds'?") is important but turns out to be too ambitious. The book is well-written, accessible, and intelligent; but it is far from "impeccably researched", "authoritative", or "bold and imaginative", as the blurb / newspaper reviews cited by the publisher claim it is. This is still traditional Greece and Rome centered history, but with some China added. To be sure, the book tries so hard to confirm what general audiences already think, that a successful TV-series could very well be made from it. show less