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Loading... From Stonehenge to Samarkand: An Anthology of Archaeological Travel Writing (edition 2006)by Brian Fagan (Author)
Work InformationFrom Stonehenge to Samarkand: An Anthology of Archaeological Travel Writing by Brian Fagan
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I love this book! It opened my eyes to the fact that at the start of the nineteenth century some English travellers were able to have an experience of ancient Greece and its remains that was evocative as the experience I had a few years ago in the ruins of Angkor. Vignettes from exploring Egyptians ruins at Luxor in the ninteenth century at midnight under a full moon transport the reader to times and places where remains of the ancient world had an ambience most of us will never be able to experience in our lifetimes. Thanks Brian Fagan. I'm glad there exist academic archeologists to this day who understand the importance of appreciating the mystery and the spirit of the human past in certain silent and ancient places on the earth. no reviews | add a review
Ever since Roman tourists scratched graffiti on the pyramids and temples of Egypt over two thousand years ago, people have traveled far and wide seeking the great wonders of antiquity. In From Stonehenge to Samarkand, noted archaeologist and popular writer Brian Fagan offers an engaginghistorical account of our enduring love of ancient architecture--the irresistible impulse to visit strange lands in search of lost cities and forgotten monuments. Here is a marvelous history of archaeological tourism, with generous excerpts from the writings of the tourists themselves. Readers will find Herodotus describing the construction of Babylon; Edward Gibbon receiving inspiration for his seminal work while wandering through the ruins of the Forum inRome; Gustave Flaubert watching the sunrise from atop the Pyramid of Cheops. We visit Easter Island with Pierre Loti, Machu Picchu with Hiram Bingham, Central Africa with David Livingstone. Fagan describes the early antiquarians, consumed with a passionate and omnivorous curiosity, pondering themysteries of Stonehenge, but he also considers some of the less reputable figures, such as the Earl of Elgin, who sold large parts of the Parthenon to the British Museum. Finally, he discusses the changing nature of archaeological tourism, from the early romantic wanderings of the solitary figure,communing with the departed spirits of Druids or Mayans, to the cruise-ship excursions of modern times, where masses of tourists are hustled through ruins, barely aware of their surroundings. From the Holy Land to the Silk Road, the Yucatan to Angkor Wat, Fagan follows in the footsteps of the great archaeological travelers to retrieve their first written impressions in a book that will delight anyone fascinated with the landmarks of ancient civilization. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)910.4History and Geography Geography and Travel Geography and Travel Accounts of travel and facilities for travellersLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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