Treasures from the Oxus: The Art and Civilization of Central Asia
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.52 (798 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1784537721 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 264 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-05-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The great river civilization of the Oxus is one of the forgotten jewels of the ancient world. Most of these rare objects have never been seen, let alone published, until now.. But, as the author shows, it has a prehistory which goes very much further back: and a succession of skilled yet still elusive Bronze Age cultures flourished here well before the rise of Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BCE.This richly illustrated book explores the fascinating history, art, and archaeology of the region, including its primal trade in silk and foodstuffs; the mineral wealth of the Oxus basin; its exotic myths and beliefs; and the converging tribes and peoples which led to a new stability, economic growth and urbanism.The volume contains 150 full-color photographs of notable artefacts, including silver decorated vessels, inlaid stone pots, agate beads, and 25 "Bactrian Princesses:" remarkable statuettes made in chlorite and limestone. It was for centuries central to Achaemenid and later Persian power. In history, this grand arterial 1,500-mile waterway was always seen as the natural frontier between the northern provinces of the Iranian empires and the outer Turanian lands
Dr Vidale has published extensively on the archaeology of each of these regions, and his research consistently incorporates a careful balance between clever ideas and insights, on the one hand, and first rate archaeological investigation on the other. Although many of these objects are in private collections or have been acquired by museums from antique dealers, Professor Vidale has the requisite expertise, due to his long experience in the field, to identify the ones that have archaeological relevance. His publications play an important role in my thinking about a raft of issues, and also in the courses that I teach to
His previous books, published in English and Italian, include The Archaeology of Indus Crafts (2000), What is Ethnoarchaeology? (2004), and Ceramics and Archaeology (2007). An internationally prominent scholar of the archaeology and material culture of the Bronze Age, he has held Chairs at the universities of Bologna, Genoa, and Rome. . Massimo Vidale is professor of near eastern archaeology at the University of Padua where he lec