The Destruction Of Sennacherib... and Other Poems

Faithful reader Rupert Chapman writes to remind me of a poem not in my Archaeology in Poetry collection: Lord Byron's "The Destruction Of Sennacherib". I have no excuse for not recalling this poem; I can remember reciting "The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold//And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold" to the immense amusement of my sixth grade classmates. So, I've added it to the collection of Archaeology Poetry.

Rupert also asks: "I have lost a poem that I would love to find again. It was passed to me by a friend and colleague on a dig in Israel in the summer of 1973, I copied it down, sent it to my fiancé (now wife), but neglected to ask her to save it (bad mistake). It told the story of the decline and fall of an archaeologist, worn out by too many years in the sun and wind, and with, perhaps, too great a fondness for the gin for the good of his liver. All I can remember about it is that it was published in a Canadian magazine that summer, and sent to my friend by his girlfriend. I long since lost touch with Martin, and have never seen the poem since. "

The poem sounds vaguely familiar to me (although the theme is like a lot of 'archaeology field songs'), but darned if I can remember, either. If anybody knows what this poem may be, can you post a comment or drop Rupert a line at RupertL3 (at) aol.com?

• The Destruction Of Sennacherib
• Archaeology in Poetry
• Archaeology Field Songs