A Faith in Archaeological Science: Reflections on a Life
By (author) Don Brothwell
Paperback (Published)
(February 2016)
ISBN: 9781784913014
6.85 x 9.65 inches
Price: $60.00
In stock
This is the first memoir by an internationally known archaeological scientist, written with humour and a critical concern to understand the nature of his life and that of our species. It provides a very readable account of a life embracing field and laboratory work from Orkney to Egypt and Mongolia to Peru.
This is the first memoir by an internationally known archaeological scientist, and one who has been particularly research active for over fifty years in the broad field of bioarchaeology. Written with humour and a critical concern to understand the nature of his life and that of our species. It provides a very readable and original account of a life embracing field and laboratory work from Orkney to Egypt and Mongolia to Peru. The diverse research extends from human fossils, to cemetery studies and bog bodies, to dogs, hair chemistry, bone pathology, soils and vitrification. He has similarly been concerned about the nature of culture, the impact of stress on individuals, and theoretical issues in archaeological science. He argues that we are advanced primates, and can’t be divorced from a scientific and ethological perspective. Indeed, he sees culture as derived from a complex interwoven range of thought, from the usefully adaptive to the highly maladaptive creative thinking which can grade into destructive social pathology. Our limited ability to perceive accurately has resulted in the creation of a plethora of dubious beliefs, from religions to political elitism and fanaticism. Placed in the world of today, with the perspective of our long past, the author feels that it is difficult not to feel coldly sober and doubtful about the future of our species. But we are not extinct yet! Beginning life as a traumatised baby and school failure, Don retired as emeritus professor of archaeological science in the University of York.
Introducing a Life
Childhood, Family and Education
War, Peace and Prison
Bog People and Other Friends
From Rocks to Protons
Bones, Teeth and People
The Nature and Antiquity of Diseases
Peoples and Places
Character Parts in a History
Aspects of the Emotions
Conclusions on a Life
Bibliography
- By (author) Don Brothwell
Other Titles in this Series
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A Retrospective to mark the 25th Congress in Nijmegen
Aleksei P. Okladnikov: The Great Explorer of the Past. Volume I
A biography of a Soviet archaeologist (1900s - 1950s)
Well Met! Friends and Travelling Companions of Rev. Thomas Bowles
Journals of Travels in Egypt, Petra and the Near East, 1854
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Gilbert Bagnani: The Adventures of a Young Italo-Canadian Archaeologist in Greece, 1921-1924
Aleksei P. Okladnikov: The Great Explorer of the Past. Volume 2
A biography of a Soviet archaeologist (1960s – 1980s)
Connecting the Dots: Counting, Writing, and the Beginnings of Civilization
The Secret Lives of Clay Tokens: A Memoir
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