The Buzz...About Books

Earlier this week, archaeologists in the UK announced the discovery of a previously unknown massive Neolithic stone monument – a "Superhenge". As reported in the UK's Guardian, this monument  is located close to Stonehenge and consists of up to 90 standing stones in a huge semicircle. Using ground-penetrating radar, they have discovered 30 intact stones, measuring up to 43.5 m tall, plus parts of stones and locations where stones once were set. They think the stones were originally placed there around 4500 years ago, but were purposely knocked down later during religious change. 

On Thursday, the Globe and Mail and Vice News reported on important find in South Africa. In a small, very inaccessible cave, the remains of what may be a previously unknown species of hominin have been found. Although the remains have not been dated, the researchers believe that the newly discovered Homo Naledi fills a gap between Australopithecines and the Homo species and dates to over 2.5 million years ago.  

If you enjoy reading about archaeology, place a hold on one or more of these recently published books on archaeology and archaeologists.  If you prefer DVDS, scroll down for a selection listed below. In our Zinio eMagazine collection, you can find National Geographic to help you keep up-to-date with these discoveries.

Books:

Digging for Richard III : How Archaeology Found the King by Michael W. Pitts.
The story of how the grave of this English king was found under a Leicester car park. It looks into the people behind the discovery and how clues were pieced together to identify the last Plantagenet king. Another book about the discovery of King Richard III is The King's Grave: The Discovery of Richard III's Lost Burial Place and the Clues it Holds by Philippa Langley and Michael K Jones. 

Lives in Ruins : Archeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson.
An entertaining look into the lives of contemporary archaeologists and the actual, non-glamorous working conditions they actually face. It's not Indiana Jones!  Johnson also finds out what drives them to do this very important, yet often tedious, work.
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• eAudiobook

Neanderthals Rediscovered : How Modern Science is Rewriting their Story by Dimitra Papagianni.
In recent years, the story of the Neanderthals has been transformed due to new discoveries and advances in scientific techniques. In Neaderthals Rediscovered, Papagianni gives a compelling narrative that encompasses the entire period that the Neanderthals lived. Winner of the 2015 Society for American Archaeology Book Award. Please note that the eBook is the revised and updated edition.
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The Millionaire and the Mummies : Theodore Davis's Gilded Age in the Valley of the Kings by John M. Adams.
Theodore Davis was once the most famous archaeologist in the world. By examining six of his most important discoveries, Adams chronicles the rise of a poor country preacher's son who amassed tremendous wealth in Gilded Age New York and then tried to atone for his corrupt career by inventing new standards for excavation in archaeology.
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St. Peter's bones : How the Relics of the First Pope were Lost and Found, and then Lost and Found Again by Thomas J. Craughwell.
A fascinating account of the search for the first Pope. In 1939, during work in St. Peter's, a mausoleum was discovered underneath the basilica. During the excavations that followed, it became clear that the work was leading them closer to the very beginnings of Christianity. 

DVDs:

Emperor's Ghost Army: In a vast underground mausoleum, a life-size terracotta army was created to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife.

Iceman Murder Mystery: Otzi the Iceman, the famous mummified corpse pulled from a glacier in the Italian Alps, was autopsied by scientists to attempt to unravel mysteries about the ancient mummy, including his death and his way of life.

The Incredible Human Journey: Dr. Alice Roberts explores five epic routes our ancestors took across the globe, accounting for the spread of humans around the planet.

Pompeii: Back From the Dead: The excavations of Pompeii has revealed much about the way the ancient Romans lived and died. Make sure to visit the ROM for their Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano exhibit, before it closes on January 3, 2016.

Time Team: Unearthing the Roman Invasion: In these twelve episodes, Britain's Time Team set to work on sites from the era of the Roman occupation in the first centuries CE. More episodes of Time Team are available through tvo.org.