Cambridge Library Collection - Archaeology

This 1900 work remains of relevance to anyone interested in the everyday lives of ordinary people in an ancient society.

This 1921 narrative begins in the prehistoric period and continues through the Christian era down to the nineteenth century.

This highly illustrated 1887 book offers a particular focus on the Celtic crosses of Ireland, and their sculptural symbolism.

Published in 1862, a detailed and well-illustrated survey of ancient buildings in Ephesus by an English architect and archaeologist.

The surgeon William Ainsworth (1807–96) acted as the geologist of the 1835 Euphrates Expedition, his account of which is also reissued in this series. Great interest was aroused by the scientific and archaeological findings of that journey, and the Royal Geographical Society helped to fund a further expedition, ostensibly to make contact with the Nestorian Christians of the region, but covertly to make further mineralogical investigations. Ainsworth was the leader of the expedition, and his two-volume account was published in 1842. Starting from Istanbul in 1839, he took a route through Asia Minor, northern Syria, Kurdistan, Persia and Armenia, returning to Istanbul in 1840. The expedition was not regarded as a success, as Ainsworth had massively overspent the budget originally allotted by the sponsors, and his secret activities were discovered by the Ottoman authorities, but the work remains a vivid account of the area.

This 1838 edition traces a journey through Egypt and the Near East by John Lloyd Stephens, founder of Mesoamerican archaeology.

Published in 1884, one of the earliest first-hand illustrated accounts in English of the city and temple complex of Tiwanaku.

Antiquarian Sir Richard Colt Hoare's 1819 account of his journey in 1789-90 through the heart of Italy to Sicily.

This revised 1880 second edition of Smith's book draws extraordinary parallels between cuneiform documents and the biblical book of Genesis.

The Assyriologist George Smith (1840–76) was trained originally as an engraver, but was enthralled by the discoveries of Layard and Rawlinson. He taught himself cuneiform script, and joined the British Museum as a 'repairer' of broken cuneiform tablets. Promotion followed, and after one of Smith's most significant discoveries among the material sent to the Museum - a Babylonian story of a great flood - he was sent to the Middle East, where he found more inscriptions which contained other parts of the epic tale of Gilgamesh. Before his early death in 1876, he was writing a history of Babylonia for the 'Ancient History from the Monuments' series. Prepared for press by A. H. Sayce, it was published in 1877. Smith traces the story of the Babylonian empire from mythical times ('before the deluge') to its conquest by Persia in the sixth century BCE. Several other books by Smith are also reissued in this series.

Two works, published 1857-9, describing Loftus's discoveries in a region significant for its biblical history, but previously unexplored by Europeans.

In this 1875 work, self-taught Assyriologist George Smith describes his first archaeological expedition to the Middle East.

In this 1929 work, Stein describes an expedition tracing the route of Alexander the Great's invasion of India in 326 BCE.

In this 1912 two-volume work, Hungarian-born archaeologist Marc Aurel Stein describes his second expedition to the deserts of Chinese Turkestan.

Illustrated with numerous photographs, this 1903 account of a journey through Chinese Turkestan records significant archaeological discoveries.

Originally published in 1914, this pioneering and highly illustrated textbook helpfully summarises Mexican and Mayan archaeology for non-specialist readers.

Translated into English in 1887, this survey of the ancient cities of Mexico and Central America remains valuable to modern archaeologists.

Originally published in 1912, this pioneering and highly illustrated textbook made South American archaeology more accessible to the general reader.

The antiquary Sir William Gell (1777–1836) was most famous for his two books on the archaeological discoveries at Pompeii (also reissued in this series) but his interest in the topography of classical sites resulted in several other publications, including this two-volume work, first published in 1834. The work was intended to accompany a map (available to download at http://www.cambridge.org/9781108042109) of the territory of Ancient Rome, for which the field research and surveying activities were carried out in 1822. It provides alphabetical entries (from Abbatone to Zagarolo) on all the sites in Rome and its environs, with their modern names and populations, and their significance in ancient history and literature. Volume 2 also contains essays on the history and languages of Ancient Italy, and supplements to various entries, where new discoveries had been made during the course of the work's preparation.

The antiquary Sir William Gell (1777–1836) was most famous for his two books on the archaeological discoveries at Pompeii (also reissued in this series) but his interest in the topography of classical sites resulted in several other publications, including this two-volume work, first published in 1834. The work was intended to accompany a map (available to download at http://www.cambridge.org/9781108042109) of the territory of Ancient Rome, for which the field research and surveying activities were carried out in 1822. It provides alphabetical entries (from Abbatone to Zagarolo) on all the sites in Rome and its environs, with their modern names and populations, and their significance in ancient history and literature. Volume 2 also contains essays on the history and languages of Ancient Italy, and supplements to various entries, where new discoveries had been made during the course of the work's preparation.

The antiquary Sir William Gell (1777–1836) was most famous for his two books on the archaeological discoveries at Pompeii (also reissued in this series) but his interest in the topography of classical sites resulted in several other publications, including this two-volume work, first published in 1834. The work was intended to accompany a map (available to download at http://www.cambridge.org/9781108042109) of the territory of ancient Rome, for which the field research and surveying activities were carried out in 1822. It provides alphabetical entries (from Abbatone to Zagarolo) on all the sites in Rome and its environs, with their modern names and populations, and their significance in ancient history and literature. Volume 2 also contains essays on the history and languages of ancient Italy, and supplements to various entries, where new discoveries had been made during the course of the work's preparation.

The name of Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832) will always be associated with the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Champollion himself was a child prodigy who had taught himself numerous ancient languages in his teenage years, despite not having received any formal education. In this 1824 work, he expands on the discoveries he had previously outlined in 1822, giving a long and systematic account of his research, which was based on the insight of Thomas Young that clusters of hieroglyphs on the tri-lingual Rosetta Stone could be matched to known Greek and Latin names. He gave phonetic values to the signs, and then linked them to the Coptic language (familiar from its use in the liturgy of the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt), which he recognised as being descended from ancient Egyptian. The work was originally published in two volumes (the second being of illustrations), which are here bound as one.

The distinguished archaeologist David G. Hogarth (1862–1927) excavated in Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Asia Minor over the course of his career. He wrote books about his excavations and travels to bring archaeology to a popular audience. His A Wandering Scholar in the Levant (1896; also reissued in this series) was described by T. E. Lawrence as 'one of the best travel books ever written'. Hogarth later became president of the Royal Geographical Society, and Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, from 1908 to 1927. This work, first published in 1889, describes his travels around Cyprus in the summer following his excavations at Old Paphos. He visited areas that had not been examined by archaeologists before, and the book contains many illustrations of buildings and objects he found during his journey, providing details of sites and landscapes still of interest to those studying the history of the island or of archaeology.

The archaeologist D. G. Hogarth (1862–1927) was, when he died, keeper of the Ashmolean Museum and president of the Royal Geographical Society. During his career he excavated in Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Asia Minor. His books about his travels and excavations were well received and A Wandering Scholar in the Levant of 1896 (also reissued in this series) was described by T. E. Lawrence as 'one of the best travel books ever written'. This work, first published in 1909, contains six lectures on the origins of Ionia. Hogarth presents and evaluates the theories of the origins of Ionian culture that were popular at the time, and in the course of his discussion he delivers the results of some of his own excavations, including those at Ephesus in 1904. The work remains of interest to scholars and students of the region and of the history of archaeology.

Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817–94) was one of the leading British archaeologists of the Victorian period. His excavations at Nimrud and Nineveh led to important discoveries about ancient Mesopotamia, particularly about the Assyrian civilisation, and his popular books such as Nineveh and its Remains (1849) brought archaeology to a wide audience. This book, first published in 1887, tells the story of an 'adventurous journey' Layard had made over forty years earlier, in 1840–2. He learnt Arabic and Persian and travelled widely, even among tribal peoples notorious for their lawlessness. Volume 2 opens with Layard's account of attacks by the Persian military against his hosts, the mountain-dwelling Bakhtiyari tribe. It describes Layard's return journey through Basra and Baghdad to Constantinople, against a backdrop of civil unrest, feuds, kidnapping, theft and robbery, alternating with generous assistance. The book ends with Layard, undeterred by his experiences, planning his next archaeolog

Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817–94) was one of the leading British archaeologists of the Victorian period. His excavations at Nimrud and Nineveh led to important discoveries about ancient Mesopotamia, particularly about the Assyrian civilisation, and his popular books such as Nineveh and its Remains (1849) brought archaeology to a wide audience. This two-volume work, first published in 1887, tells the story of an 'adventurous journey' Layard had made over forty years earlier, in 1840–2. He learnt Arabic and Persian and travelled widely, even among tribal peoples notorious for their lawlessness. Volume 1 focuses on ancient sites and major cities, and the warm hospitality Layard experienced in the household of the Bakhtiyari chiefs. Volume 2 describes armed conflict between the Persian army and the tribes, and Layard's dangerous return journey via Basra and Baghdad to Constantinople.

The archaeologist D. G. Hogarth (1862–1927) was, when he died, keeper of the Ashmolean Museum and president of the Royal Geographical Society. He was instrumental in launching T. E. Lawrence's career, employing him at Carchemish and encouraging him to learn Arabic. This book, published in 1896 and described by Lawrence as 'one of the best travel books ever written', relates a journey through Ottoman Turkey, with additional chapters on Egypt and Cyprus. It combines a highly readable account of the practicalities and pitfalls of archaeology with Hogarth's (often unsympathetic) opinions on political problems of the area, including the position of the Armenians and Kurds. Hogarth subsequently became acting director of the Arab Bureau in Cairo during the First World War, and attended the Versailles peace conference. This book illuminates the experiences that developed Hogarth's political views and the close relationship between archaeology and politics in the Middle East in the period.

The archaeologist D. G. Hogarth (1862–1927) was, when he died, keeper of the Ashmolean Museum and president of the Royal Geographical Society, whose gold medal he was also awarded. This 1910 book is his account of various episodes in his career from 1897, when he covered the Cretan revolt against Turkey for The Times, to his 1907 excavations in Asyut, Egypt. A mixture of travel writing and archaeological reporting - the volume also contains an academic report on the excavation of Carchemish - this book, a follow-up to his A Wandering Scholar in the Levant (also reissued in this series), and intended for a popular audience, remains a highly readable account of the practicalities behind Hogarth's intellectual career. It also provides background to Hogarth's political involvement with the Near East, as acting director of the Arab Bureau in Cairo during the First World War and an attendee at the Versailles peace conference.

Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817–94) was one of the leading British archaeologists of the Victorian period. His excavations at Nimrud and Nineveh led to important discoveries about ancient Mesopotamia, particularly about the Assyrian civilisation, and his popular books such as Nineveh and its Remains (1849) brought archaeology to a wide audience. This two-volume work, first published in 1887, tells the story of an 'adventurous journey' Layard had made over forty years earlier, in 1840–2. He learnt Arabic and Persian and travelled widely, even among tribal peoples notorious for their lawlessness. These included the mountain-dwelling Bakhtiyari, who were under threat from the Persian ruler. Volume 1 describes the ancient sites Layard visited at the start of his journey, his encounters with the authorities in several cities, the warm hospitality he experienced in the household of the Bakhtiyari chiefs, and their customs, including a lion hunt and recitations of poetry.

The archaeologist D. G. Hogarth (1862–1927) was, when he died, keeper of the Ashmolean Museum and president of the Royal Geographical Society. He was instrumental in launching T. E. Lawrence's career, and himself became acting director of the Arab Bureau in Cairo during the First World War, also attending the Versailles and Sèvres peace conferences. This 1902 book is a regional study of the area from the Balkans to Iran, including north-east Africa. His survey, broadly based in geographical determinism, discusses geology, climate, and communication routes, as well as population distribution, ethnicity, and agriculture - including prescient observations about the conflicts of geography and ethnicity - and provides fascinating evidence for the British perception of the area in the build-up to the conflict. It also illuminates the close relationship between archaeological and political interests in the period and Hogarth's wide-ranging career in both fields.