In the prehistoric Copper Age, long before cities, writing, or the invention of the wheel, Old Europe was among the most culturally rich regions in the world. Its inhabitants lived in prosperous agricultural towns. The ubiquitous goddess figurines found in their houses and shrines have triggered intense debates about women’s roles. The Lost World of Old Europe is the accompanying catalog for an exhibition at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. This superb volume features essays by leading archaeologists as well as breathtaking color photographs cataloguing the objects, some illustrated here for the first time.
The heart of Old Europe was in the lower Danube valley, in contemporary Bulgaria and Romania. Old European coppersmiths were the most advanced metal artisans in the world. Their intense interest in acquiring copper, Aegean shells, and other rare valuables gave rise to far-reaching trading networks. In their graves, the bodies of Old European chieftains were adorned with pounds of gold and copper ornaments. Their funerals were without parallel in the Near East or Egypt. The exhibition represents the first time these rare objects have appeared in the United States.
An unparalleled introduction to Old Europe’s cultural, technological, and artistic legacy, The Lost World of Old Europe includes essays by Douglass Bailey, John Chapman, Cornelia-Magda Lazarovici, Ioan Opris and Catalin Bem, Ernst Pernicka, Dragomir Nicolae Popovici, Michel Séfériadès, and Vladimir Slavchev.
"Excellently produced catalogue. It is, however, much more than a catalogue. . . . These splendid images are the highlight of a timely and well-informed review of one of the most notable and creative episodes in world prehistory."--Colin Renfrew, Times Literary Supplement
"This unique collection is the achievement of extraordinary multinational collaborations orchestrated by scholars at New York University, as congratulatory letters from directors of several participating museums bear witness. . . . Although the product book is no longer marketed by its publisher, to judge from the situation here in Colorado many top college and university libraries acquired it when it was. It is worth a curious and admiring look if your library was wise enough to do so."--Victor Castellani, European Legacy
"An excellent, up-to-date, and much-needed synthesis on the Copper Age in the lower Danube valley. David Anthony is a renowned researcher, and his expertise is complemented by respected senior researchers who have published widely on southeast European prehistory. This book features exceptional artifacts, most of which are being exhibited for the first time in the United States."--Peter F. Biehl, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
"During the Copper Age in southeastern Europe, technology, infrastructure, and ideology combined to produce remarkable cultural dynamism. The ceramics and metalwork presented in The Lost World of Old Europe reflect the energy and spirit of the inhabitants of countless small communities during this crucial period in European prehistory."--Peter Bogucki, Princeton University
A copublication with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University
File created: 9/23/2014