Description
Even though Dorothy Thompson excavated the Agora Bone Well in 1938, the well and its remarkable finds have never been fully studied until now. Located outside the northwest corner of the Athenian Agora and dating to the second quarter of the 2nd century B.C., the well contained the remains of roughly 460 newborn infants, as well as a few older individuals. Also found in the well were the bones of over 150 dogs and an assortment of other animals, plus various artifacts, including an intriguing herm (treated here by Andrew Stewart) and an ivory chape. In addition to a thorough examination of the contents of the well, the authors provide a thoughtful analysis of the neighborhood in which the well was located and carefully compare the deposit with similar accumulations found elsewhere in the Mediterranean. The product of close cooperation between archaeological, palaeoanthropological, and faunal scholars, this interdisciplinary work will be of interest to a large audience across a variety of fields.
About the Author
Maria A. Liston is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Waterloo.
Susan I. Rotroff is the Jarvis Thurston and Mona Van Duyn Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis.
Lynn M. Snyder is an anthropologist/archaeologist with a specialization in zooarchaeology at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Reviews
The Agora Bone Well is a poignant text, effectively marrying scientific methods and humanistic inquiry. The rigorous analysis is relevant to scholars studying ancient childbirth, paleopathology, zooarchaeology, ceramics, mortuary ritual, Athenian topography, and more. Unlike most multidisciplinary volumes, this text weaves together a clear, concise, and coherent narrative.
American Journal Of Archaeology
"This book represents an invaluable contribution to our understanding of 2nd century BCE Athens and infant death and deviant burials in ancient Greece. It is also a demonstration of what can be accomplished when specialists work together to understand a total picture, one comprised of pieces that would have been considered separately in earlier days. The authors present an honest approach to an imperfect data set, allowing readers to assess the data and its potential interpretations for themselves. It is a welcome update to our understanding of this deposit and will not, I think, be soon superseded in its broader conclusions."
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"This volume represents a well written, engaging story full of sociological insights, unanswered puzzles and human pathos. The Agora Bone Well is an example of the best sort of cooperative scholarship our field has to offer."
Classical Journal
Book Information
ISBN 9780876615508
Author Maria A. Liston
Format Paperback
Page Count 200
Imprint American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Publisher American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Weight(grams) 681g
About the Author
Maria A. Liston is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Waterloo.
Susan I. Rotroff is the Jarvis Thurston and Mona Van Duyn Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis.
Lynn M. Snyder is an anthropologist/archaeologist with a specialization in zooarchaeology at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Reviews
The Agora Bone Well is a poignant text, effectively marrying scientific methods and humanistic inquiry. The rigorous analysis is relevant to scholars studying ancient childbirth, paleopathology, zooarchaeology, ceramics, mortuary ritual, Athenian topography, and more. Unlike most multidisciplinary volumes, this text weaves together a clear, concise, and coherent narrative.
American Journal Of Archaeology
"This book represents an invaluable contribution to our understanding of 2nd century BCE Athens and infant death and deviant burials in ancient Greece. It is also a demonstration of what can be accomplished when specialists work together to understand a total picture, one comprised of pieces that would have been considered separately in earlier days. The authors present an honest approach to an imperfect data set, allowing readers to assess the data and its potential interpretations for themselves. It is a welcome update to our understanding of this deposit and will not, I think, be soon superseded in its broader conclusions."
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"This volume represents a well written, engaging story full of sociological insights, unanswered puzzles and human pathos. The Agora Bone Well is an example of the best sort of cooperative scholarship our field has to offer."
Classical Journal
Book Information
ISBN 9780876615508
Author Maria A. Liston
Format Paperback
Page Count 200
Imprint American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Publisher American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Weight(grams) 681g
