Bigger Than History

Why Archaeology Matters

Brian Fagan author Nadia Durrani author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Thames & Hudson Ltd

Published:2nd Jul '20

£12.95

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

Bigger Than History cover

An important new primer on the significance and relevance of archaeology

Why does archaeology matter? How does studying prehistory help us understand climate change? How can archaeological discoveries challenge contemporary assumptions about gender? How has archaeology been used and misused to support political and nationalist agendas – and how can it help build a more diverse and inclusive picture of our world by examining the people left out of written history?

Brian Fagan and Nadia Durrani address these and other questions, exploring how archaeology's long-term perspective offers unique views into the most challenging issues facing the world today. With examples from around the globe – including a female Viking burial in Sweden, controversies over the discovery of the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in Southern Africa, and newly discovered ancient farming techniques in South America – Bigger Than History explores how the search for the past continues to inform our understanding of the present.

'This book links the seemingly remote world of archaeology with the present day. Indeed, the stories of entire groups of people omitted from written texts can be told through the evidence beneath our feet. There are challenges, too, and the authors compellingly sketch some of the biggest risks faced by the discipline' - BBC History Magazine
'Offers a window onto this subject for a readership beyond archaeologists that will help to clarify the discipline’s broader relevance. This is surely a book that everyone should read' - Antiquity

ISBN: 9780500295083

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 230g

144 pages