The discovery of the past : the origins of archaeology

Every civilized society, beginning with that of the ancient Egyptians and Chinese, has entertained a passionate curiosity about its predecessors: we want to know about our past in order to understand and even manipulate our present. The means to that end is archaeology, whose history is the fascinating subject of The Discovery of the Past.Alain Schnapps' study is astonishing in the depth and breadth of its coverage. Beginning with the ancient Greek poet Hesiod and extending thought St. Augustine, Rabelais, Newton, and Thomas Jefferson, he shows that the history of archaeology is not one of uninterrupted progress, but of the rediscovery and reinterpretation -- often erratic -- of forgotten observations.The text is elegantly interwoven with illustrations and descriptions of objects surviving from antiquity, while extensive quotations from primary sources provide a fascinating insight into historical accounts. Contemporary depictions of ancient life, and incidents in its discovery, reveal the excitement of archaeological research. This study investigates the ways in which mankind, from antiquity to the 19th century, became conscious of the past. From Nabonidus, King of Babylon, to Jefferson, via St Augustine, Petrarch and Newton, the book looks at the various ways in which the past has been used as a means of both understanding and manipulating the present. The work presents archaeological research and discovery through the extensive use of quotations from primary sources Alain Schnapp ; [translated From The French By Ian Kinnes And Gillian Varndell]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.