The Goddess and the Bull: ﾇatalh?: An Archaeological Journey to the Dawn of Civilization (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781598740691)

Veteran science writer Michael Balter skillfully weaves together many threads in this fascinating book about one of archaeology's most legendary sites- ﾇatalh?. First excavated forty years ago, the site is justly revered by prehistorians, art historians, and New Age goddess worshippers alike for its spectacular finds dating almost 10,000 years ago. Archaeological maverick Ian Hodder, leader of the recent re-excavation at this Turkish mound, designated Balter as the project's biographer. The result is a skillful telling of many stories about both past and present: of the inhabitants of Neolithic ﾇatalh? and the development of human creativity and ingenuity, as revealed in the recent excavation; of James Mellaart, the original excavator, whose troubles off the mound eventually overshadowed his incisive work at the site; of Hodder and his intense, brilliant crew who marveled and squabbled over the meaning of finds in dusty trenches while attempting to reintepret Mellaart's work; and of the recent history of the theory and methods of archaeology itself. Part story of the human past, part soap opera of modern scholarly life, part textbook on the practice of modern archaeology, this book should appeal to general readers and archaeological students alike.

Author: Michael Balter
ISBN-10: 1598740695
ISBN-13: 9781598740691
Publisher: Routledge
Language: English
Published: 01/15/2009
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.36lbs
Size: 8.96h x 6.04w x 0.99d