Product Description

Tells the story of archaeological travel and excavation in Iraq - then Mesopotamia - from the time of the great Arab geographers to the 2003 devastation of the Iraq National Museum. Fagan tells of Henry Rawlinson, Jules Oppert, and Edward Hincks, decipherers of cuneiform; Claudius and Mary Rich, observers of Nineveh and Babylon; and Emile Botta and Austen Henry Layard, who revealed the Assyrian civilisation to an astonished world. Here, also, are men like Hormuzd Rassam, whose illegal digging and plundering horrified local officials, and Wallis Budge, consummate smuggler of cuneiform tablets. Fagan also recounts the careers of the multi-talented administrator Gertrude Bell, a primary influence in the creation of the nation of Iraq, and of Leonard Woolley, renowned for his excavation of Sumerian civilisation at Ur.Bringing this remarkable history up to date, Fagan chronicles the development of scientific archaeology in Mesopotamia, the growing Iraqi involvement in archaeology, and the tragic events of recent years that led to the looting of the Iraq National Museum and many archaeological sites.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #551661 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-30
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.19 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 386 pages

Review
"Fagan succeeds in presenting this history of Mesopotamian archaeology in a manner that is both lively and informative . . . The book brings the reader up to date with more recent archeaological accomplishments, including those of the Iraqis themselves." -- LJ "Library Journal (on the first edition of Return to Babylon)"