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A full-color guide to Italy's archeology and treasures.
Archaeology Hotspot Italy presents a comprehensive overview of the Italian archaeology. The main archaeological epochs - from Paleolithic to the Middle Ages - and sites and the discoveries made in the last twenty years, as well as past and present great archaeologists are thoroughly explored. Archaeology Hotspot Italy gives also insights into the way in which archaeology is practiced today, dealing with controversies over interpretation of the past connected to different theoretical approaches and present-day social and political contingencies. One of the aims of Archaeology Hotspot Italy is to give to the reader the idea that archaeology is by no means a static discipline, and that our knowledge of the past is continuously challenged by new discoveries and new approaches as well as by national and international heritage politics. It can be read either while staying comfortably at home or while traveling through Italy. Indeed, it was conceived as a handbook on Italian archaeology for armchair archaeologists as well as an archaeological guide for those visiting Italy. It provides key information on unconventional and not well-known archeological sites, which are outside of the mass tourism circuits, as well as insights on must-see sites and monuments in Italy, such as Pompeii or the Ancient city of Rome. The reader will find insights into the actual work of Italian archaeologists in current excavations, and on the challenges that they have to face. This perspective is quite unique. By combining information on archaeological sites with insights into archaeological practice, this book enables the reader to fully understand the archaeological profession in Italy. This beautiful full-color book features 44 photographs and 3 maps.
List of contents
Chronology of Ancient Italy
Preface
1. Introducing Ancient Italy
2. Italy from Prehistory to Greek Colonization
3. From the Foundation of Rome to the Fall of the Roman Empire
4. The Most Important Archaeological Sites from the North to the South of Italy
5. Digging up the Past Today: New Discoveries and New Challenges
6. Famous Figures in Past and Present Italian Archaeology
7. Controversies in Italian Archaeology
Epilogue: Learning More About Italian Archaeology
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Authors
About the author
Maja Gori (Ph.D., Heidelberg/Sorbonne), an Italian, is an adjunct faculty member at the American University of Rome. She has been a free-lance archaeological guide in Rome since 2009. Her co-authored Building a New Land from Ancient Shards: Archaeology and National Identity in the Balkans will be published this year by Edwin Mellen Press.
Summary
This book will deal with popular spots for archaeology in Italy-in terms of both fieldwork and tourism-and will focus on what has been found, who found it and their stories, the controversies and scandals, ongoing projects, and what it all means. The contents will illuminate the history, culture, national heritage, and current events.
