James Whitley. 2001. The Archaeology of Ancient Greece. Cambridge University Press, London. 419 pp., recommendations for further reading, bibliography, and an index.
James Whitley's recent The Archaeology of Ancient Greece provides a welcome introduction to both the development and history of ancient Greece, and to the history and development of classical archaeology itself. What Whitley's book does is describe archaeology that goes beyond the emphasis on literature and art that are the mainstays of classical archaeology, to develop a fuller rendition of Greek culture as it flourished and faded.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I consists of four chapters describing the growth and development of classical archaeology from its roots in the gentlemen collector stage through the implementation of classical scholarship into the modern era. Part II is six chapters discussing what archaeologists understand about how Greek culture developed in Early Iron Age, and how it changed through contact with the east. And Part III consists of five chapters, defining and delineating classical Greek civilization. Throughout, Whitley maintains an even course by referring to the individual sculptor, artisan, ruler, sanctuary, site and event, melding the concrete with the theoretical.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I consists of four chapters describing the growth and development of classical archaeology from its roots in the gentlemen collector stage through the implementation of classical scholarship into the modern era. Part II is six chapters discussing what archaeologists understand about how Greek culture developed in Early Iron Age, and how it changed through contact with the east. And Part III consists of five chapters, defining and delineating classical Greek civilization. Throughout, Whitley maintains an even course by referring to the individual sculptor, artisan, ruler, sanctuary, site and event, melding the concrete with the theoretical.
Whitley's book is generously illustrated and heavily footnoted. An extensive biography is provided, as are recommendations for further reading in each chapter.
