An Indonesian Pompeii?

Popular Archaeology magazine reports on the discovery of whole communities on Sumbawa (Indonesia) that were buried by the infamous eruption of the Tambora volcano in 1815

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Nomadic cultures of the steppes: new light on the Scythians

The Scythians, or Saka, as they were known to outsiders, were nomads who traversed the Eurasian steppes from the Black Sea to the borders of China. Regarded as "barbarians" by the ancient Greeks, archaeological investigations have thrown new light on their culture, their way of life and interactions with neighbours such as the Persians and Chinese.

An article from the New York Times, published in conjunction with an upcoming exhibition at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, looks at the artifacts recovered from Scythian burial mounds and what this tells us about their culture

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A SLIDE-SHOW OF SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY

North China Herald: new online resource

Now available! Brill have made all issues of The North-China herald and Supreme Court and consular gazette (to give it its full title!) from 1850 to 1940 available in a digitized format.

The newspaper was published in Shanghai, which was "at the heart of China’s dealing with the Euro-American world and a city at the forefront of developments in Chinese politics, culture, education and the economy. As the official journal for British consular notifications, and announcements of the Shanghai Municipal Council, it is the first – and sometimes only – point of reference for information and comment on a range of foreign and Chinese activities." Brill website

It "is universally acclaimed as the prime printed source in any language for the history of the foreign presence in China from around 1850 to the 1940s" Brill website


 LINK TO LIBRARY CATALOGUE PAGE

INTRODUCTORY VIDEO FROM BRILL (YouTube)

Reconsidering the mystery of Easter Island : book review

Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo reconsider the traditional view that the inhabitants of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) bore the prime responsibility for the catastrophe that befell their society in "The statues that walked : unravelling the mystery of Easter Island"

READ THE REVIEW IN THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

and look out for the book when it arrives in SOAS Library (ordered 18th January)

Cambridge Histories Online: new online resource

SOAS Library now has access to the complete Cambridge Histories Online containing over 270 volumes published since 1960, covering over 15 different academic subjects. Users can search and browse content, personalise the interface including, saved & most recent searches, workspaces and bookmarks and export citations.

Includes: The Cambridge History of Music, The Cambridge History of Islam & The New Cambridge History of Islam, The Cambridge History of Judaism, The Cambridge History of Political Thought, The Cambridge History of Africa, The Cambridge History of Ancient China, The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, The Cambridge History of Egypt, The Cambridge History of Iran, The Cambridge History of Japan, The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, The New Cambridge History of India and many more...

http://histories.cambridge.org/ [On-campus]
http://bit.ly/CHOnline [Off-campus]

From Hellenism to Islam: book review

Published by Cambridge University Press in 2009, "From Hellenism to Islam: cultural and linguistic change in the Roman Near East" (edited by Hannah Cotton)  explores the "constantly shifting blend of languages and writing systems, legal structures, religious practices and beliefs in the Near East" in the 800 years between the Roman and Islamic conquests.

Read a review by Christian Hogel (University of Southern Denmark) in the Bryn Mawr Classical Review ("an impressive and very readable publication")

Find the book in SOAS Library at NB417 / 732888

The Crusades and the Near East -cultural histories : Book review

Dr Jonathan Harris (Department of History, Royal Holloway College, University of London) reviews The Crusades and the Near East: cultural histories in the Institute of Historical Research's online Reviews in History
The book, edited by Dr Conor Kostick of Trinity College, Dublin, explores the cultural history of the Crusades and how they shaped European identities.

SOAS Library has copies at NB909.07 / 736679

Poetry in Ancient China and Archaic Greece

Alexander Beecroft's "Authorship and cultural identity in early Greece and China: patterns of literary circulation" reviewed by Hyun Jin Kim of Sydney University in Bryn Mawr Classical Review 

Published this year by Cambridge University Press, this is a "sophisticated comparative study of Archaic Greek and early Chinese poetry"

Read the book in SOAS Library - shelved at CC808.0209 / 734034 (Level C, stacks 152-155)