"An abundance for everyone"

Archaeology is a bountenous, indeed an inexhaustible, subject...there is an abundance for everyone -- providing it is attractively packaged, agreeable to peruse, and valid.

So said Sterling Dow (1948) founder of archaeology magazine, and he was correct. Archaeology magazine contains beautiful photographs, insightful and interesting articles, and the few advertisements are of high quality, mostly geared to people who would like to experience archaeology first hand through special travel tours.

I have purchased this magazine in the past, and picked up this month's issue because I am teaching an introduction to anthropology course that includes a section on archaeology. The cover story, "The race to save Afghan culture" caught my eye, as I like to provide my students with timely, topical information for any subject I teach. I will be sending a check for my subscription soon!

The magazine comes out six times a year, $4.95 ($6.95 Cdn.) cover price and $19.97 US subscription price. You can find out more at their website, www.archaeology.org

The most recent issue contains:

COVER STORY:

The race to Save Afghan Culture:

Tells the story of a museum near Basel, Switzerland, where people can donate Afghan artifacts for preservation. This is not the first article about the "cultural terrorism" going on in Afghanistan, but this one raises important questions about international policies -- do artifacts belong to the country they are found in, or do they belong to the world?

Articles in this issue: (May/June 2002)

Caligula's Floating Palaces:

Roman Emperor Caligula was a man who indulged his many passions, one of them was for ships. "During his brief rule from A.D. 37 to 41, he had two enormous ships--a sailing ship and an oared galley--built and anchored on Lake Nemi as pleasure craft. Pillaged and deliberately sunk later in the first century, they were recovered in a feat of engineering sponsored by Benito Mussolini in the 1930s, but destroyed during a German retreat in 1944." A project is now underway to replicate one of the ships.

Scythian Seeds:

Read about the discovery of a burial pit containing 13 horses sacrificed by this fascinating culture.

Emerald City:

Exploration in Egypt's Eastern Desert yields the mines that furnished Rome's elite. The site is now jeopardized by tourism and archaeologists are scrambling to find out how much mining went on, how many people lived there, and answer other important questions.



DEPARTMENTS

In this issue - editor's comments

Letters - from readers

From the President - message from the President of the Archaeological Institute of America commenting on current events, issues, ethical dilemmas.

Newsbriefs.

Special Report - in this issue Greece's Minister of Culture addresses the question of patrimony and complains that there is a double-standard.

Reviews - book reviews

Further Reading

Field Note - contributions from archaeologists talking about their current research.

Final Thoughts:

This magazine is a beautiful, informative publication that will be of interest to anyone who cares about our past, about the politics of culture, who likes to travel off the beaten path, or who is just curious to learn more about the world.